Drive10.28.26Kinger: Rob King Joins The Drive

0:05 You're tuned to The Drive on your 24-7 home of the black and gold. Steelers Nation Radio.

0:24 Rocking and rolling here on The Drive on this Wednesday afternoon. And joining us now on the phone lines, the voice of your Pittsburgh Steelers, and, of course, the host of In the Locker Room right on this network every day at noon with Max Starks and Willie Colon. It is Rob King. It is the king in the castle. Bonjour, mes amis. Monsieur King, how art thou?

0:47 I'm doing well, my friend. It was good to spend some time with you in Paris, and good to see the students come away with a victory as well.

0:54 Who enjoyed their time in the city of Lovemore, you or Chris Hoke?

0:58 Oh, I think it had to be Hokey, man.

1:01 And French. I mean, he was, you know, so he spent a couple of years there doing, you know, during school, doing some mission work around the country. And he's fluent. You know, I mean, there's, you know, when we got to the airport, as you know, Wes, we were all like, where are we going?

1:18 Oh, yeah.

1:19 I didn't tell this story. Upsteps, Chris Stoke, Chris Hoke to lead us. You know, Pied Piper, Moses to the promised land, whatever it is, he got us through the airport, man. If it wasn't for him, we might still be in Paris right now. And, you know, he's such a wonderful guy and there with his wife. But I had a good time, man. I did, and it was fun hanging out with you and the rest of the crew. It's a great city, and it was a lot of fun.

1:48 So I think you're selling yourself short, at least the way Wes described it, as you as a tour guide. I mean, it sure sounded that you guys got a lot of steps in, saw a lot of stuff. You guys kind of led the way, had lovely little breakfasts with charcuterie boards and espressos and bottles of wine on Sunday night.

2:06 Yeah, yeah.

2:08 I need to hear.

2:10 Stories, man.

2:11 Wes went on and on yesterday.

2:14 Well, I do love Um, look, my wife and I love to travel. I mean, people spend their money on different things. Um, I'm looking at my odometer, my car right now, it's got 151,506 miles on it. You know, um, other people want new cars and everybody spends their money on the things they want. Uh, we just love to travel.

2:35 And one of the things I love over there in Europe is these breakfasts with coffee, but then they, they serve like, um, uh, you know, basically, uh, um, not, not ham, but you know, the, uh, Oh my God, I can't believe I'm not, my brain is, it's kind.

2:51 Of like, uh, it's kind of like Capicola.

2:54 Oh yeah.

2:56 Sounds so good.

2:58 Like, I don't mean, I don't, I normally don't eat breakfast. It's, it's uncommon for me to eat much of anything before noon. But when I see that ham and cheese and coffee, I'm like, man, sign me up.

3:09 Why aren't we doing that over here?

3:10 Yeah.

3:10 And, um, And the sandwiches, too, I was thinking the same thing. So Dan Quinlan, our esteemed producer, and his lovely wife, Lauren, they got a foot-long, now it's on Italian bread, or French bread, so the bread's fantastic. And it had chicken, Parmesan, not Parmesan, mozzarella, tomatoes. It looked fabulous.

3:34 I mean, it just looked incredible. It just looked so good. It was $ 5.

3:38 50.

3:39 I'm like, $ 5.

3:41 50?

3:41 You've got to be kidding me, man.

3:43 I mean, that sandwich would cost you $ 18 here.

3:49 And Wes was saying the wine is the same way. Like, they have a house wine that's $ 15 for the bottle, and it's tremendous.

3:55 Yeah, I never, when I'm there, and I, you know, I like, one of the things I like about over there, too, is that, especially Italy and France is, and I'm.

4:09 Sure it's with other countries, too, but, you know, the whole glass of wine thing at dinner is, it just lengthens the dinner. They want to enjoy their food. They don't rush through it like we do. They're not watching Netflix in their lap, with their food in their lap, you know, over dinner, as I frequently do. They enjoy it.

4:27 They enjoy it. And so you just get the house wine, and it makes you laugh, and it makes you extend the meal. I love a lot of the way they live over here. Of course, I love a lot of the way we live over here, too. But you just see the differences in the things that you like to eat. import from their culture and uh and and that's part of why i like to travel enjoy the things that are different and celebrate the things that are different knowing that there are lots of great things right here at home and i'm.

4:56 Matt one uh one more including.

4:58 Big mugs of coffee by the way i tell people at every restaurant i'm like look man i'm american bring the coffee whatever you think i'm going to drink triple it more and that's you know Yeah, I'll be drinking a lot more than you think I'm going to drink. So anyway, I'm sorry. That's it. It was a great trip, and the Steelers won, and it was all wonderful.

5:19 All right, one more story before we get into the X's and O's here. We're walking around with Dan Quinlan, his wife, Michael Burch from Steelers PR, Brian Bacco, Missy Matthews, a whole crew of our people, Alyssa and Alex from video and photo on the Steelers side. We all go to Notre Dame together and then everyone kind of scatters to like grab dinner. And we wanted to see the Pantheon and they, Missy wanted to go shopping at some famous French sweater store and all this. And so, uh, Quinlan and his wife and Michael, Michael B from Steelers PR, Michael Birch, they go into like this little English pub.

5:57 They're like, Oh, this looks like a great place to have a pint. Let's go in here. Kinger whispers in my ear. He's like, I'm not going into an English pub in France. He's like, I got this place right around the corner. You want to come with me? And I was like, let's do it. I was like, dude, I'm your shadow. You jump off a bridge. I'm jumping off the bridge. Rob King, I'm with you. We go into this little cafe.

6:17 I'm going to interject real quick. Rob, I made the joke that it sounded like Wes was like her big following around Watt at training camp.

6:25 Maybe a little bit.

6:29 And so Kinger takes me into this little cafe around the corner, right in between Notre Dame and the Pantheon. We sit at this little table. He starts talking to the waitress in French, you know, orders us some onion soup and a glass of wine and And he looks at me and he goes, this is the same place I brought my wife on our honeymoon 30 years ago.

6:46 And I was like, wow. Same table.

6:48 I think we were at the same table.

6:50 Wow.

6:50 I started having.

6:51 Some weird thoughts.

6:52 Very romantic.

6:53 So romantic.

6:55 That's what I say.

6:57 Easy now.

6:57 Easy.

6:58 And that just got the night started.

7:03 It was kind of cool and kind of bizarre. I'm like, man, I told the woman, I don't speak, like, you know, I would try a little bit of French. I don't speak French. That's certainly being oversold. But I could, you know, I figured, hey, listen, you know, 896 days of Duolingo, I better try something. But I told the woman that I'd eaten there 30 years ago with my wife, and she's like, yeah, it hasn't changed. And I was like, no, it hasn't, man. And it was, anyway, it was all a fun thing. It was a fun deal, man. It was fun to be over there. Just a great time.

7:34 And then we did go to a Canadian place, and they had a framed picture of Mario.

7:39 He sent us a picture of him. That's so great.

7:41 He's international. He's continental.

7:44 Well, Kinger, of course, the cherry on top was the Victory Sunday against the Saints, and then the Steak Frites dinner that we had afterwards. But that's a different conversation for a different time.

7:54 That was good.

7:55 And Matt and I kind of I would say the theme of yesterday's show, Rob, was how you get to this point in the NFL season. Everything's on tape. You know, the data is starting to become trends. It's starting to become concrete. Yes, you can still get better and teams will improve. But you are also starting to to show your spots and who you really are at the same time.

8:15 and kind of how who we think the Steelers are currently is a team who can travel in the trenches. That Steelers defensive front, that Steelers offensive line, it doesn't matter if they're in Pittsburgh or if they're in California or if they're in Cleveland or if they're in Paris. It doesn't matter if it's 70 degrees and sunny or if it's windy, rainy, snowy in the elements. I am starting to love just the bully that the Steelers were starting to love, the bully that the Steelers have built on both sides of the trenches.

8:43 Yeah, I mean, it is what they want the identity to be. And what you're talking about, I remember going to a press conference and Andy Weidel in the preseason a couple years ago, that's exactly what he said. That kind of ball travels and plays in any kind of conditions. There's other kind of ball that does not play in winter, in December, in Pittsburgh or Cleveland. It doesn't play there.

9:08 And so the Steelers aren't interested in that kind of ball. They want ball that that can play anywhere. And yeah, we're seeing, we're seeing that. And I think the other thing is, is I believe, you know, I always kind of divide this season into thirds, like just when the first third, of course, just win all the time, but just win the first or it doesn't matter how, and then start to build an identity in that second third of the season, and then start to sharpen that identity in the last third of the season. Now, of course there's, you know, There's always health and other things. But, you know, I think the Steelers are beginning to sharpen their identity.

9:45 They're a team that is very difficult to run against, very difficult. They're a team that is starting to find their running game. I also think that there's upside. I mean, they're doing this without Derek Harmon. I believe that, if you get Roman Wilson and Pittman back, and I don't know the prognosis on any of these guys yet, but that will help your passing game, I think, a little bit.

10:07 I do think the offensive line is going to get better. So, you know, I'm bullish on them because I think they're a good team, but I also think that there's some upside still remaining. And I'm not sure that we've been able to say that as confidently about the Steelers in the past couple of years that I feel about them right now.

10:26 So I think what's interesting and really encouraging too is obviously starting with coach McCarthy, but the whole coaching staff seems very adaptable. I mean, like it's been pretty obvious that they've had their really thought out detailed plans with everything they absolutely do, but they're also adjusting on the fly.

10:44 And I use the example of, McCarthy comes in as a heavy three wide receiver guy, but then he's like, wow, this Washington and Fryer move character. I don't want to take these guys off the field. So we're going to be stronger 12 than he's ever been. And then, you know, you get kind of dealt, get a little short at the wide receiver position. Let's go back to that six offensive lineman thing that they did last year. It's not really my cup of tea, but it worked for them.

11:09 Let's give it a shot. You know? So I do think their adaptability and, uh, thoughtfulness of the moves that they make are pretty impressive.

11:19 I agree with you wholeheartedly, Matt. I think that's a great point. What did they use Spencer Anderson a dozen times? Something along those lines?

11:26 Yeah, I think so.

11:27 Yeah, something along those lines. And you're right with the tight ends. One of the things that he said and one of the things that Patrick Graham said, now what coaches say and what they do is not always the same thing. Whether that is just sort of falling back on things that they're comfortable with or whatever the case may be. But, you know, like McCarthy McCarthy said, look, I'm going to build a game plan around the strength of my roster. He said that in his opening press conference.

11:56 And I think he's largely done that.

11:57 Yeah.

11:58 And Patrick Graham said, we're going to change from week to week. And I think he's, he's gradually done that as well. Now I do think that we're seeing some, you know, we're seeing some of the personality, you know, come through and, You know, I go back and forth on this a lot. Like, how important is it to have an identity? You know, I think there's some comfort in an identity. And if the Steelers' identity was you can't run the ball against them and we can run the ball against you, well, that's a great identity. You know, going back to the Steelers of the 2000s, their identity was, you know, we're going to run the football. You're not going to run it against us. And when you go to pass in the fourth quarter, you are in big,

12:37 big trouble because our pass rush is going to clobber you. Now, I don't know what the Steelers' identity will eventually be, But I also think in this day and age, adaptability is important too. I mean, you know, just look within your own division. One week you've got to stop just on the defensive side. You've got to stop Derrick Henry.

12:53 The next week you've got to stop Joe Burrow and Jamar Chase. That's two completely different challenges. You have to be able to be adaptable. So I think that they've shown they're starting to see, we're starting to see a little bit of both, some identity, but also I think, as you said, Matt, we've seen sort of all along that there is some adaptability on the offensive and defensive side for the Steelers that I think should be embraced.

13:16 Rob king with us here on the drive voice of your pittsburgh steelers of course the steelers next game sunday one o'clock at home there on the north shore at accresher stadium against the cleveland browns kinger i tell you what of all the games that we had circled on our schedule at the beginning of the season i don't think this was on the list No, but all the, but all of a sudden this might be, uh, this might be the game of the week across the NFL this weekend. You've got two teams that are five and two, two traditional rivals, the Browns really feeling themselves after a big win against the Ray or no, sorry. Uh, that was part of me. That was Cincinnati who beat where they beat the Ravens two weeks ago and then beat

13:53 Tennessee this past week. Um, but all of a sudden to Rob, like, I think it has been when this rivalry is at its best. We saw this a little bit during the Baker Mayfield Browns era. Uh, there's some, uh, there's some war of words going on between these two teams leading up to this one as well. This is, this is going to be a lot of fun on Sunday afternoon.

14:12 Yeah.

14:13 Jared Burr said some interesting comments, you know, and I got to thinking about this, but at the tail end of in the locker room earlier today, you know, we were talking about the matchup and You know, we're trying to keep our eyes on what we're talking about, but we're all really, really pumped for this game. Talking about Max and Willie and myself. But, you know, so I think the Browns are building something. I truly do. They've had two very good drafts in back-to-back years. They brought in– I thought they thoughtfully brought in some guys. Maybe some of those guys aren't the right guys. We'll see along the offensive line. But, you know, trying to build in the trenches– a little bit and, you know, drafting Mason

14:51 Graham in the first round a year ago, he's, he's blossoming into a better player that I think, you know, some may have thought he was going to be at this stage of his career, but, you know, they're also, you go back to last year's draft class. And again, short, short member, Jared verse, who had some comments, they're two in one against his dealers.

15:10 Yeah.

15:10 You know, they're kind of getting used to it.

15:13 Yeah. Yeah.

15:14 It's not like they're, it's not like they're looking, you know, looking back and, you know, sort of dragging their heels, scuffing into Akershire stadium, like, you know, like a dog that's, that's been whipped and is ready to get whipped again. Now, a lot of these guys are like, they're like, they're, I'm sure they're thinking, Hey man, it's time to build a new identity. And we're two in one against these guys and let's go in there and beat them. So I, I, there's so many layers to this game, each team being five and two each team, probably from a national perspective, certainly the Browns, but I think the Steelers as well being better than people's would have thought at this stage of the game. You know, the closeness of the rivalry,

15:50 the tradition of the rivalry. I can't wait, man. I just think this is going to be so much fun. And I think in a lot of ways, they're trying to do the same things. You know, I mean, the Browns want to, you know, they want to run Quinshawn Judkins at you. They want to stop your running attack. You know, it's fun, man. I can't wait. I think it's going to be a great game and a lot of fun.

16:16 Yeah, I think we were all kind of, when the schedule came out originally, rolling our eyes a little bit. Like, really, we couldn't get a bye week after Paris. We have to wait an extra week and all these different things.

16:26 At least it's the Browns. We'll roll right over there.

16:29 But I'm with you. I'm glad that this game has happened on Sunday because it feels like two teams at 5-2 at the top of their division that are only about a two-hour drive away from each other and have some history. It's going to be a lot of fun. And, of course, you can hear Rob King on the call with Max Starks and Missy Matthews Sunday 1 o'clock on the Steelers Audio Network, of course, on your flagship 102.5 WDVE. Kinger, fun stuff as always, man. Thanks for letting me be your shadow in France there, and thanks for taking the time for us here today.

17:02 Thanks, guys.

17:04 See you, partner. There he goes. King in the castle. Great stuff, as always, with our buddy Rob King. He's underselling it a little bit. He can speak some French. Not like Chris Hoke.

17:11 Yeah, you said Hokey's like fluent.

17:14 So here's the story, too. And again, we were downloading a lot of thoughts yesterday, and I told you there'd be some more stories throughout the week.

17:20 Oh, I hope all week, yeah.

17:22 We get to the airport, and it's.

17:24 A- Going or coming or- This is coming home.

17:26 Okay.

17:27 So we're going Paris to Dublin to Pittsburgh, flying home, probably 60 different Steelers employees. You know, people like myself and Brian Backo and Rob and Missy, a lot of the camera and video and content employees, probably I would say 50 or 60 of us that were making that flight. We get to Paris to check into our flight to Dublin.

17:50 And we were having some issues because they wanted us to check in on the manual kiosks. But since we were flying as a group, we had to like check in at the desk to get our boarding passes done.

18:01 Oh.

18:01 If that makes sense.

18:01 So it wasn't like you check it individually.

18:03 Correct.

18:04 Okay. It's kind of how like when we go to the owner's meetings and stuff like that.

18:07 Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

18:08 You kind of check in as a group and we were having some language barrier issues.

18:12 Okay.

18:13 And we were unable to figure it out. I mean, we're for probably 10, 15 minutes, myself, Dan Quinlan, our boss, Reagan, you know, trying to like communicate. What do we do here? And all of a sudden Reagan's like, what are we doing? Hokey.

18:27 Yeah.

18:27 Okay.

18:28 There you go.

18:28 Get up here. Yeah. He's like, Bonjour, es una buena, big, big group of Pittsburgh Steelers. And before we knew it, we were in the right line and we were checking in and we were in good shape.

18:41 That's awesome.

18:41 It's like, here comes Chris Hoke to the rescue and we would have been in trouble without him.

18:44 Wow.

18:45 See, I didn't realize, I assume it was from his BYU Mormon mission he ended up over there?

18:51 Okay, okay.

18:52 When Rob was describing him, it was kind of putting two and two together.

18:55 And enjoyed it so much, he learned the language and kept going back.

18:57 And loves it.

18:58 And loves it. All that stuff. He was like the mayor of Paris there for a few days. Let's get to our last break of the first hour. Matt, when we come back on the other side, you're going to want to be watching this segment of the show on YouTube. I'm just giving everybody a warning because Matt has something pretty cool in studio with him that is a bit of a homage, a bit of a tip of the cap to our brother Dale Lawley. We'll explain when we return and close down the first hour of The Drive.

19:25 Steelers Nation Radio on the Steelers Audio Network.