Steelers Sunday comes early this week.
In fact, the home game against the Carolina Panthers will be on Thursday night.
The good news is once it's over, the players and staff will have extra time to recover before the next game, Nov. 18 at Jacksonville.
That's the extent of the good news.
The players will barely be over last Sunday's bumps and bruises when they line up against the Panthers.
They're working in double time. Offensive lineman Ramon Foster broke it down this way: Monday is the normal recovery day, spent reviewing the previous game and getting medical treatment.
Tuesday -- normally a day off -- becomes the equivalent of Tuesday and Wednesday in a regular week. That's the time to get the game plan and do the heavy practice work.
This week's Wednesday is like a combination of Friday and Saturday in a normal week. There's a light practice and a walk through. One benefit is it's a home game for the Steelers. Otherwise, they'd be on a plane to Carolina.
It's not the same as working in a coal mine, but it's a disruption of the normal routine. And there's no real good reason for it.
Thursday NFL games used to be limited to one day per season, Thanksgiving. The Detroit Lions and Dallas Cowboys had home games and the opponents rotated.
Now there's a game every Thursday, and participation is mandatory. Every team gets stuck with one Thursday game.
The NFL started this "tradition" when the league started its own TV channel and wanted unique content. Now they share some of the games with the networks (this one is on Fox) for more money.
The players are ill served by playing with such a short recovery time, but that's OK in the NFL.
Player safety is something to endlessly discuss. It takes a back seat to making money, though.
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Ever get together with co-workers after hours and discuss your grievances with the workplace?
It's highly likely. Any non-hook up meetings in bars after 5 p.m. are people complaining about the boss.
It's mostly harmless, just people blowing off steam.
But what if someone had an unseen video camera recording, and the bosses being assailed were able to eavesdrop on the conversation?
In the immortal word of Myron Cope, yoi. That's what happened to a bunch of Ottawa Senators players who got an Uber ride back to their hotel in Arizona. They used the trip to unload on the incompetence of an assistant coach.
The driver had a camera activated, then posted the video online.
As you can imagine, there have been repercussions. The audio quality is quite good, so there's no doubt about what they're saying and who's saying it.
Turns out it is not illegal to record people without their consent in Arizona (it is illegal in Pennsylvania), although it is a violation of Uber policy.
Must have made for an uncomfortable team meeting when nearly one third of the players were seen bashing one of their coaches.
Since there's video evidence, the usual dodges are not applicable. There's no denying what was said or claiming the context isn't understood.
Technology is great in so many ways, but what's happened to America when workers can't have a private boss bash?
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No more political ads on TV for at least a few months.
There should be a parade today.
(John Mehno can be reached at: johnmehnocolumn@gmail.com)
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