Welcome back to BTSC’s Friday night open thread. That’s right, this week you’ve got the other half of Read & React back as Ryland and I switch off hosting these happy hours throughout the season.

How’s your week been Steelers fans? Over here where I am in the Pacific Northwest, it feels like we finally saw the end of summer as the gray weather returned and I could feel my energy levels taking a step back to adjust. Since Steeler Nation spans the globe, I’m curious:

Are you still holding onto summer where you live? Or has autumn and its many pumpkin-flavored items officially taken over?

Now to football. This weekend will be the first time the Steelers play at home in 2024. Under Mike Tomlin’s tenure, Pittsburgh has gone 11-6 in home openers. However, they’ve lost in the previous two.

Do you think the Steelers break that trend and reach 3-0 on the season?
What will be the key for that to happen?
Are you attending the game?
Which new Steeler (free agent or draft) are you most looking forward to seeing in person? I won’t be there in person, but I’m betting DeShon Elliott becomes a fan favorite.
I saw my first live Steelers game last season when they came to Seattle. Not only did they get the win, but the amount of black and gold in the stands almost made it feel like the Steelers were playing at home. The only thing missing was “Renegade” blaring in the 4th quarter. Tell me, is the moment that song plays at home games as awesome as I imagine it to be?
Speaking of “Renegade,” the Steelers put out a pretty cool video last year detailing how the connection between the team and the song came to be. If you’ve never seen it, you can check it out here.
Also this week, it was announced that seven former Steelers have been nominated for the 2025 Hall of Fame class: James Harrison, Hines Ward, James Farrior, Casey Hampton, Gary Anderson, Mike Vrabel and John Kuhn. Excluding Vrabel and Kuhn — both of whom started in Pittsburgh but are more known for their time with other organizations — if you had to pick just one of these Steelers legends to make the HOF, which one are you picking? To clarify, I’m not asking which one will most realistically get in. Just which one you would choose if you could only guarantee one getting in?
Finally, looking a bit beyond the borders of Steelers Nation, the game I’m most interested in besides the Steelers this week is the Ravens at Cowboys. Pittsburgh has well-established rivalries with both teams, but am I alone in rooting for the Cowboys just this week? An 0-3 Ravens squad is almost as exciting as a 3-0 Steelers start, don’t you think? Let me know your thoughts in the comments.

Have a great weekend everyone! Here we go Steelers, here we go!