Altoona Mirror, August 20, 2017

Because Steelers training camp is so devoid of actual news, there was quite a stir last week.
Assistant coach Joey Porter revealed the Steelers plan to start first-round draft choices T.J. Watt and Bud Dupree at the outside linebacker spots and use veteran James Harrison as a backup. Or, as Porter called him, a "relief pitcher."
This really shouldn't be news. The Steelers were anxious to have Harrison in a reserve role last season, too. It didn't happen because nobody (Jarvis Jones) was a better option. Harrison wound up taking a lot of snaps, probably more than a player of his vintage should take.
Harrison's commitment to conditioning is unquestioned. No one would ever underestimate his intensity. But he's 39 years old in a young man's game.
There seems to be the mistaken impression that Watt will start in the first half of the season and Harrison will then take over. If that happens, it means something has gone terribly wrong.
The Steelers need help on defense, and they think they've gotten that by drafting Watt. He comes from a football family. Training with his brother, Pro Bowler J.J. Watt, has shown him what it takes to play in the NFL.
He's intelligent. Steelers insiders report he learned the playbook in a week. And, as coaches like to say, his motor is always running.
It's time for a transition so the Steelers don't have to depend on one of the oldest players in the league.
Actually, the transition is arriving later than it should have.
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--NOT VERY LIKELY
A ridiculous story has been circulating claiming the Catholic church is considering beatifying Roberto Clemente as a saint.
All sense of proportion about Clemente has been lost. People who weren't around when he played baseball now think he spent his days doing charitable works, then went 4-for-4 and helped the Pirates win every game, and finished the day by giving all his loyal fans a ride home.
Clemente was an excellent baseball who played the game with a distinctive flair. He died on a mercy mission to help earthquake victims. As his longtime friend Phil Dorsey used to say, "He wasn't an angel and he wasn't a devil."
He probably wasn't a saint, either. But so few are.
By the way, the effort to get sainthood for Clemente is led by former Pittsburgher Richard Rossi. Google his name sometime. He has an interesting background.
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--LOOK OUT
Baseball players are at particular risk during the solar eclipse because they insist on keeping the sunglasses on the bill of their cap.
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--BAD ADVICE
Somewhere in the Pirates organization is a scout who recommended acquiring Joaquin Benoit from the Phillies.
That scout should be forced to drive Benoit to the Greyhound station and buy him a one-way ticket to Topeka to start a new life without baseball.
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--ALSO KNOWN AS...
The Pirates will be wearing jerseys tonight that sport the players' nicknames.
So it's Cutch and J Hay and Stew and so on.
If they had done that in a past generation, the names would have been Deacon, Bart, Kitten, Vinegar Bend, Red, Baron, Smoky, Smitty, Stu, Rocky, Maz, Ducky, Tiger, Dog, Arriba, Quail and Hurryin' Joe.
You kids can ask your grandfather. Why do I suddenly feel like Steve Blass?
(John Mehno can be reached at: johnmehnocolumn@gmail.com)