[url=http://www.Steelersjerseyproshop.com/hines-ward-jersey/]Hines Ward Jersey[/url] , but if you think the news surrounding the black-and-gold is over — think again. For the drama-filled Steelers, things are just heating up, and this is where the daily links article comes in. You might have missed some key news, and we fill you in and give you the latest, and sometimes greatest, news surrounding the Steelers.Today in the Black-and-gold links article we take a look at the American Football Conference (AFC) besting the National Football Conference (NFC) in the most meaningless football game every played — the Pro Bowl. However, after JuJu Smith-Schuster left the game with a leg injury, it was good to see the Steelers’ budding superstar reportedly is okay.Let’s get to the news:AFC wins Pro Bowl, Steelers’ JuJu Smith-Schuster hurts kneeBy: The Associated Press, via the Pittsburgh Tribune-ReviewThe Pro Bowl long has been considered a laughable representation of the NFL game.It reached a new level of comedy Sunday as several players swapped positions.Jacksonville Jaguars cornerback Jalen Ramsey caught a touchdown pass in the final minute, capping a dominate performance for the AFC defense in a 26-7 victory over the NFC in steady rain.Pittsburgh Steelers receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster left the game with a bruised knee, but the injury was not considered serious. However, he was limping on the way to the bus and declined comment. Smith-Schuster had one catch for 16 yards.Teammate James Conner ran six times for 11 yards. Cameron Heyward had 1.5 sacks and tied for the team high with six tackles.It was the third consecutive victory for the AFC, all of them at Camping World Stadium.The last two were played in sloppy weather, with the latest one also coming amid temperatures in the mid-50s. It was far from ideal conditions, raising speculation about the game’s future in Orlando but fairly fitting considering the effort players provided. It was two-hand touch most of the day, with officials blowing plays dead at the slightest hint of contact.“Who cares, man?” New York Jets safety Jamal Adams said. “At the end of the day [url=http://www.steelersjerseyproshop.com/isaiah-buggs-jersey/]Isaiah Buggs Pittsburgh Steelers Jersey[/url] , we’re like little kids out there just playing in the mud, playing in the rain.”Regardless of the elements, the AFC made the plays the NFC didn’t.Kansas City’s Patrick Mahomes completed an 18-yard touchdown pass to Indianapolis’ Eric Ebron on the opening possession, helping Mahomes earn the offensive MVP. Mahomes pleaded with voters to give it to Chiefs fullback Anthony Sherman, who caught three passes for 92 yards and ran for a score.(To read more, click the link in the headline…)John Steigerwald: Chuck Noll the reason Pittsburgh became football townBy: John Steigerwald, Pittsburgh Tribune-ReviewPittsburgh always has been a football town.How many times have you heard that? It’s probably the consensus among the national media, but it’s only an accepted truth in Western Pennsylvania by people who are not old enough to remember when it clearly wasn’t.Granted, that group is getting smaller every day, but those of us who were around when Chuck Noll was hired 50 years ago Sunday know his hiring is what eventually would change Pittsburgh into a football town.On January 27, 1969, Pittsburgh sports fans were excited about the Pirates going to spring training. They also were preparing to say goodbye to Forbes Field because they were going to open the 1970 season at Three Rivers Stadium. (As it turned out, Three Rivers wasn’t ready until June 1970.)January 1969 was not a good time to be a Pittsburgh sports fan. The Pirates finished 17 games behind the St. Louis Cardinals, going 80-82 and taking sixth in the 10-team National League. Roberto Clemente, who had been booed early in the 1968 season, hit .291, the only time he was below .300 in the 1960s. And the Pirates were, by far [url=http://www.thesteelersclub.com/isaiah-buggs-jersey/]Isaiah Buggs Pittsburgh Steelers Jersey[/url] , the best and most popular team in town.When Noll showed up for his first day on the job, Pittsburgh was a baseball town, and it wasn’t close. The Steelers were something to do in between Pirates seasons. They were a civic embarrassment and a community joke.Pitt football was so bad, it made the Steelers look like the Green Bay Packers.There have been periods of hard times for local sports fans over the last 50 years, but it was never as bad as when Noll showed up.The Steelers finished 2-11-1 in 1968 and fired Bill Austin, who went 5-8-1 and 4-9-1 in his first two seasons. I was 20 years old. They had managed four winning seasons in my lifetime, three of them since my 10th birthday.They shared Pitt Stadium with the Panthers.Are you ready for Pitt’s record the three years before Noll showed up to coach the Steelers?(To read more, click the link in the headline…)Jerome Bettis honored to win Dapper Dan Lifetime Achievement Award in ‘adopted hometown’By: Nubyjas WilbornAs it is for many people, the trajectory of Jerome Bettis’ life can be traced through a set of fortuitous phone calls and sound decisions.Bettis received a phone call on April 20, 1996, that would change everything.The 5-foot-11, 255-pound running back had just completed a tough season with the Rams. Bettis only had 623 yards on 183 attempts in 1995, which was the Rams’ first in St.Louis after leaving Los Angeles. In his rookie campaign, Bettis rushed for 1,429 yards and followed up with 1,025 in 1994.Steelers head coach Bill Cowher called Bettis to let him know that he would be coming to Pittsburgh.“He said something that I’ll never forget,” Bettis told the Post-Gazette. “’If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em.’ He was referring to my rookie year. We played against them they couldn’t stop me. It felt good to know he recognized my talent that way.”Bettis played the remaining 10 seasons of his career with Steelers and ran for 10 [url=http://www.thesteelersclub.com/isaiah-buggs-jersey/]Isaiah Buggs Jersey 2019[/url] ,571 of his 13,662 career yards wearing the black and gold.“It’s an amazing organization. You don’t realize it until you get inside the culture. At first, you think it’s like any other team. But once you’re in, you see it’s different,” Bettis said. “It starts from your teammates to the coaches, to the administration and all the way up to the owner. Everybody in the building was on the same page. We were able to talk to the owner on a first-name basis. I appreciated that coming from a close family. It was an amazing opportunity to play for what I feel is the best organization in football.”(To read more, click the link in the headline…) Le’Veon Bell’s stall inside the Pittsburgh Steelers locker room has been untouched for months. The Pittsburgh Penguins jersey. The black-and-yellow Jordans. Sweatpants. Cleats. His shoulder pads. Everything remains the same as it was when Bell walked out of the team’s facility in January to begin his standoff with the club.The only thing that’s been disturbed is the chair. Some days a teammate’s workout clothes dangle from the back of it. On others 鈥?like Monday 鈥?a Steeler uses the seat as a spot to throw his lunch plate.When Bell returns to reclaim his spot is uncertain. The first day of the team’s bye week came and went without Bell coming in to sign his one-year franchise tender. What’s becoming increasingly clear, however, is that the Steelers are just fine moving on with Bell, or without him.The anger over Bell’s decision to not report in time for the regular season opener has subsided. In its place is something akin to exasperation and resolve. One of coach Mike Tomlin’s favorite metaphors is to describe each season as a train that’s on the move.Pittsburgh (3-2-1) appears to be picking up steam. Bell is standing still. If he’ll ever be able to catch up in time to have any impact on Pittsburgh’s season is anyone’s guess. The last six weeks have been so eventful beyond Bell’s absence 鈥?from a sluggish start by the defense to wide receiver Antonio Brown’s weekly histrionics 鈥?the players aren’t even getting hit up for inside information on Bell’s plans when they get home from work.”They know our sole focus is on us winning football games,” right tackle Marcus Gilbert said. “They’re not bothering me with that. It’s strictly about football. Ask me about anything else, the guys on the team currently. But until he shows up, then we can’t talk Le’Veon.”And at the moment, there’s no reason to. Not with the way James Conner is running the ball. The second-year back rolled up 111 yards rushing and two touchdowns in Pittsburgh’s 28-21 victory over Cincinnati on Sunday, his third game of at least 100 yards and two scores in the first six weeks. Only four other players in NFL history have done that.”James just wants to put his hand in the pile and be one of the reasons why we win,” Tomlin said. “He wants to prove that (he belongs).”There appears to be very little proving left to do.Conner, a former Pitt star, set an Athletic Coast Conference record for touchdowns during his college career but has become perhaps better known for his battle with cancer in 2015 and 2016. On the same day he helped the Steelers to their 18th win in 21 trips to Paul Brown Stadium [url=http://www.steelersjerseyproshop.com/isaiah-buggs-jersey/]Cheap Isaiah Buggs Jersey[/url] , he shared a pregame moment with a young fan waging his own war with the disease.Conner is aware of the platform he’s been given but is also doing his best to keep the focus on his job. He has a high level of respect for Bell 鈥?who tweeted out his congratulations after one of Bell’s punishing runs against the Bengals 鈥?and wants to continue to be a beacon of hope for cancer patients.At the same time, he also just wants to tuck the ball under his right arm and run as hard as he can for as long as he can. Asked to describe why he’s becoming more successful as the weeks pass, Conner is quick to point to an offensive line that hasn’t allowed a sack or made him work too hard behind the line of scrimmage during Pittsburgh’s modest two-game winning streak.”The goons up front, it always starts up front with the O-line,” Conner said. “As they go, we go.”The question becomes which way the Steelers go when Bell does decide to pull on his familiar No. 26. He considers himself one of the best all-around backs in the league and has the accolades 鈥?two-time All-Pro, three-time Pro Bowler 鈥?to prove it. Yet he also hasn’t been hit in nine months and has kept a decidedly low profile, at least in terms of his physical activity, during his sabbatical.”However it all shapes up, we know he’s a player that can’t be replaced, he’s a special player,” Gilbert said. “But any guy that we put in there will be a different type of player. Him and James are different type of running backs and they’ll complement each other really well.”Then Gilbert paused ever so slightly and drilled down beyond platitudes to reality.”Like I said, I don’t really want to talk Le’Veon to you until he shows up,” Gilbert said. “Be interested to see what kind of shape he’s in and how he can help better this team because it’s a different outfit than last year.”