By: Justin McGonigle
SteelerNation.com
It's another week and another JuJu Smith-Schuster headline is plastered across social media.
This time it's because of his comments about the lowly Cleveland Browns. A team that went 1-23 over two seasons not long ago. A team that hasn't won in Pittsburgh since 2003. A team that used to be a rival, but has been regulated to a little brother after years of inept decisions and management.
They've started 25+ quarterbacks since they last made the playoffs in 2002. "The Cleveland Clowns," the "Mistake by the Lake," and other names we can't mention on this website has been used time and time again -- but the laughing stock of the NFL nonetheless. Everyone gets it now, right?
Joey Porter was a legend for his s**t talking in Pittsburgh. He was loved. Greg Lloyd and the other personalities on those Blitzburgh defenses of the '90s stirred up a lot and there wasn't even social media then. But they were loved in Pittsburgh.
It was literally one year ago that a player for the Browns hit Mason Rudolph in the head with a helmet. Fans stood on chairs to call out the Browns and laugh at how they collapsed right out of the playoff hunt following that game. This all while Browns fans defended the assault and called for more of the same when the Browns traveled to Pittsburgh.
It's so quick how people forget. But back to Smith-Schuster.
I can't remember a player in modern Steelers history that is so controversial. And he isn't even controversial. That's the frustrating part. He's constantly attacked by media members whether it's because they don't understand his love of TikTok, his extra personality, or the sheer fact that they just want to see someone fail. His quotes are taken out of context more than most and that's what we're dealing with today in regards to his media session on Thursday.
A local Cleveland AP writer started the attack late on Thursday night. Surely he was looking for engagement to his Twitter account, or maybe he was trying to fire up the Browns. Though, an 18-year playoff drought would surely do that I'd hope.
#Steelers WR Juju Smith-Schuster on rivalry with #Browns:
— Tom Withers (@twithersAP) January 8, 2021
"I think they’re still the same Browns teams I play every year. “I think they’re nameless gray faces. They have a couple good players on their team, but at the end of the day, I don’t know. The Browns is the Browns."
Now this is completely pieced together to make it seem like something it isn't. It's piss-poor reporting.
Let's go ahead and watch the video:
[video width="510" height="508" mp4="https://www.steelernation.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/twitter_20210108_122827.mp4"][/video]
Could he have been a little more bland on his response? Sure, but he didn't say the Browns sucked and he couldn't wait to kick their butt on Sunday? No. The "gray faces" comment is a direct Mike Tomlin-ism. He winked while saying they were the same old Browns. He went onto say that they were a very good football team.
Just a lot to do without there actually being a smoking gun. Regardless if the Browns can't get fired up without some basic comments to the media from a Steeler, then they're not winning on Sunday night anyway.
Let us know what yinz think of Smith-Schuster's remarks in the comment section below.
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