Will Russell Wilson beat out Justin Fields in Pittsburgh?

TOP OF THE TOWN _–   The talk around the NFL this pre-season has centered on the quarterbacks. Aaron Rodgers, as expected, received the most attention. A future Hall of Famer, Rodgers is not my favorite player. Yes, he is a great quarterback, but for me he is on the wrong side of the political fence. He is an alleged Trumper. The talk that is most interesting centers on the Pittsburgh Steelers competition between Russell Wilson and Justin Fields. The Steelers acquired both this off-season and the expectation by experts was Wilson would be the presumed starter, based on his 12 years in the NFL,10 with Seahawks and the last two with Denver. It may not work out that way, though. Wilson, who will be 36 in November, sure hasn’t looked good so far in the preseason. He has lost that Houdini ability to escape during his years with the Seahawks. His quickness has Houdini-like disappeared with age. Fields is inconsistent, great one moment, not so great the next. His passing accuracy has to improve, but he now provides what Wilson used to, the ability to be Houdini. and escape and pick up valuable yardage with his legs.

 So, the question is, who is going to win the starters’ job, and what happens to the one that is sent to the sideline to hold the clipboard?

 If Wilson is relegated to the backup job, will he willingly accept it? Mike Tomlin may be forced to start Wilson to avoid a public distraction.

 Personally, I would like to see Fields win the job, and based on what we have seen so far it would be the right thing to do.

 Wilson, for me, has proved to be something of a phony. He got away with it in Seattle because his quickness enabled him to become an on-field hero more times than not. Fans loved him, and former coach Pete Carroll let Wilson get away with it because he produced wins that appeared to be lost.

 To be sure, Wilson turned 60-yard TD passes, which is what he was noted for, into millions of dollars. I don’t begrudge pro athletes from making a lot of money — most professional franchises are owned by billionaires that can afford to pay a Wilson millions to put fannies in the seats.

 Wilson purchased houses that cost millions _– his 11,104 sq foot Bellevue home sold for 21.5 million (he paid 6.7 million for it) and his Cherry Hill Village home in Denver also sold for 21.5 million (he paid 25 million for it).

 Wilson can afford these homes (his net worth is estimated at 165 million.

I guess when you get it, you buy these huge mansions. There was a pro baseball player that had a mansion with a real Railroad running through it. Another pro athlete had a mansion with an almost 8,000 sq foot bedroom.

 It’s difficult for a nine-to-five blue-collar worker to take in how much some of these guys make each year. No surprise is soccer player Christiano Ronaldo makes 260 million a year. Golfer Jon Rahm, who signed with Saudi Arabia sponsored LIV Golf, makes 218 million a year. Lonel Messi is at 245 million, LeBron James takes in 128 million and the Greek Freak ( Giannis Antetokounmpo) is at 111 million.

 That’s it for today.

  Be well pal.

 Be careful out there.

 Have a great day.

  You are loved.