So what do we get at 1 o'clock this afternoon, NFL or WWE?
It's the first showdown of the season between the Steelers and Cincinnati Bengals and, just as the TV announcers always say, these are two teams that just don't like each other very much.
The last time they shared a field was January's playoff game in Cincinnati, which threatened to become a street fight.
There were suspensions from that, and the NFL even passed a new rule that prohibits assistant coaches from going onto the field for injury situations (Hello, Joey Porter).
Emotions run high, and that's a good thing. It makes for a compelling game. But if they bubble over, there's trouble. The NFL is well aware of how that works, thanks to the playoff game.
You can be sure the NFL has contacted both teams about keeping things under control, and the officials have undoubtedly been instructed to start throwing flags at the first hint of trouble.
Cincinnati's Vontaze Burfict is suspended for this game, so that's one large supply of gasoline that won't be thrown on any brush fires. But there are enough hotheads on both sides to make things volatile. Adam (He Doesn't Go By Pacman Anymore) Jones still plays for the Bengals.
We'll find out soon enough how this one unfolds. It's better for all concerned if the focus is on football.
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--IT'S ON AGAIN
Speaking of rivalries that boiled over, Penn State and Pitt got things back up to speed last week after a too-long layoff.
This one used to be burn white hot, as illustrated by one incident from a routine weekly press luncheon at Pitt one year.
Aside from the complimentary hot meal, one mainstay of those events was the conference call with the opposing coach.
They'd get the guy on speaker phone, and he'd say a bunch of complimentary things about Pitt that could be used to fill advance stories for the week.
One week when Penn State was the opponent, Joe Paterno was on the line. Before anyone could ask anything, Joe was on the warpath about the lousy tickets Pitt had sent for his family to use for the game at Pitt Stadium.
"Geez, we take good care of them when they come here," was the basis of what he said.
So almost instantly, the Pitt people were staring daggers at the speaker box and muttering among themselves. In one corner of the room, Beano Cook was bellowing that it was all "unbelievable."
And just like that, things were at a boiling point five days before anybody suited up for the actual game.
Those were two programs that just didn't like each other very much. It was nice to see it ramp up again last Saturday.
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--BIG DECISION
A lousy season will make an interesting offseason for the Pirates.
No decision will be bigger than what to do with Andrew McCutchen. Has the late-season surge raised his trade value after four mediocre months? If so, do the Pirates deal him and reconfigure the outfield to put Josh Bell in right field?
McCutchen has two years left on his contract (the second is a club option) and McCutchen won't be around beyond that. In addition to this year's hitting struggles, he's become a below-average center fielder.
What is the market for him? Are there teams that will view his first four months as an aberration?
Deciding McCutchen's future is where the Pirates' offseason starts.
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NO MULTI-TASKING
One thing the Pirates might want to emphasize in 2017:
Just focus on playing ball, and don't bother trying to umpire, too.
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