OTAs: Much ado about nothing

What better way to celebrate my birthday today than to serve up a little food for thought for your enjoyment:

• The last week or so, whenever I wanted a good laugh, I just read the NFL news reels that have been coming out from various teams’ OTA sessions.

The OTA sessions that are being held around the league are really optional workouts, for the most part.

They are more like a get-acquainted session for rookies. For veterans, it’s pretty much a gauge for coaches to see who stayed in shape in the offseason.

I crack up when the media says “this guy looks really good.” It’s guys running around in shorts without pads, lot of 7-on-7 drills. It’s more flag football than pro football.

You can’t judge anything serious that comes out of OTAs.

Remember in the preseason when the Steelers offense scored every possession Kenny Pickett was under center and we all went gaga about it? What did that get the team at the start of the regular season?

What did it get Pickett, who threw as many touchdown passes in abbreviated play in the exhibition games as he did in the entirety of the regular season?

Think about that. And OTAs mean even less than the preseason.

The best thing about OTAs is they signal real football is on the horizon.

All in all, a lot of the “phenoms” you read about around the league won’t even be in the league when the real games start.

• A part of my childhood died when Bill Walton died Monday of cancer at the age of 71.

Walton was one of the big reasons I hated UCLA in the early 70s. He was so good, he might have been the most unstoppable college player I had ever seen.

I guess I liked the underdog. But I definitely didn’t like Bill Walton.

I spent so many days rooting for the Bruins to lose because of the big red-head. My disdain for Walton continued when he went to the NBA for an injury-plagued career. Bad knees kept him from completely dominating.

I didn’t start liking Walton until after his playing career ended and he became a color commentator. He showed a sense of humor that never seemed to appear during his days at UCLA, where he was more of a rebel than a humorist.

The character Walton was behind the microphone made me forget about my hatred for him as a player.

I feel bad that I won’t hear his voice on any more west coast college games.

Fly high, “Big Red-Head,” fly high.

• Every time I watch the Pirates play a game, I keep finding myself wondering how Derek Shelton STILL has a job as the manager.

I guess it’s kinda like the Rowdy Tellez deal. El Cheapo Bob Nutting doesn’t like to get rid of people he still owes money to.

• Add Pirates I: After almost being labeled a bust when he came up last season, it appears that Nick Gonzales has figured it out.

While his range at second base is not the best it could be, he has shown the ability to hit with regularity and some thump in his bat.

If the Pirates are going to contend sooner rather than later, Gonzales will be a big part of that.

• When word came out that PGA golfer Grayson Murray, 30, died Saturday followed by the cause of death as suicide, it really puts things into proper perspective.

We like to glorify pro athletes and consider them as living a life of entitlement.

Murray, who a day before his death was competing in the Charles Schwab Challenge at Colonial, reminds us that highly paid athletes deal with many of the mental struggles that everyday people do.

It’s just a sad ending for a young golfer who was a winner on the PGA Tour earlier this season in Hawaii.

• Whatever happened to Phil Pergola?

• I don’t know about you, but I really miss the good old days of American Legion baseball and the old Mon Valley Thorobred League.

It was great to see the best local talent on display in those leagues before travel ball came and messed that all up.

• If anyone would like to send me a monetary gift for my birthday, I do use Venmo.

Just kidding, folks.

Anyone with any thoughts, opposing views or comments on this column can reach Jeff Oliver by emailing justjto@ verizon.net.