{"id":1518,"date":"2013-08-09T10:38:00","date_gmt":"2013-08-09T10:38:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/newsinteractive.post-gazette.com\/thedigs\/?p=1518"},"modified":"2015-01-08T18:07:47","modified_gmt":"2015-01-08T23:07:47","slug":"having-a-drink-with-the-steelers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newsinteractive.post-gazette.com\/thedigs\/2013\/08\/09\/having-a-drink-with-the-steelers\/","title":{"rendered":"Having a drink with the Steelers"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\" <\/a> <\/div>
\"Jack <\/a>
Jack Ham, July 1978 (Ed Morgan, Post-Gazette) <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
\"Terry <\/a>
Terry Bradshaw takes a water break, July 19, 1979 (Donald Stetzer, Pittsburgh Press) <\/div> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
\"Jack <\/a>
Jack Lambert in Latrobe, August 1983 (John Heller, Pittsburgh Press) <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
\"John <\/a>
John Stallworth, left, and Louis Lipps, right, August 1986 (John Heller, Pittsburgh Press) <\/div> <\/div>
\"Steeler <\/a>
Steeler John Stallworth, front, and Louis Lipps rest after the drill in Latrobe (Beale,Post-Gazette) <\/div> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>\n

Normal people would call them water breaks. The lexicon-bending head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers once famously called them \u201chydration opportunities.\u201d<\/p>\n

But whichever phrasing is preferred, they are absolutely essential during the summer heat of training camp at Saint Vincent College in Latrobe. And for whatever reason, players taking water bre \u2013 err, hydration opportunities \u2013 is among the most frequently photographed training camp subjects by our photographers, stretching back for decades. (The others? Players: arriving in unique vehicles; carrying things to their dorms; interacting with fans; sitting on their helmets).<\/p>\n

It\u2019s like a meme from before memes were a thing.<\/p>\n

I asked the Post-Gazette\u2019s ace sports photographer Matt Freed why photos of guys drinking water make for an intriguing photo. \u201cProbably because of the general boredom of training camp. You see the same things every day,\u201d he said, adding, \u201csometimes the [assignment] desk will call and say, \u2018It\u2019s really hot out. We need a weather feature picture.\u2019 \u201d<\/p>\n

Though the temperature and humidity have ticked up in the past few days, the weather has more often been pleasant rather than punishing during the 2013 edition of Camp Tomlin. The temperature in Pittsburgh hasn\u2019t gone above 84 degrees since the start of camp and most days have been in the mid-\u201970s.\u00a0Hence, we haven\u2019t seen the annual water shot \u2013 not yet, anyway.<\/p>\n

But compare this relatively mild year to that of camps gone by. Writing in July 1998, Chuck Finder said the Steelers came to Saint Vincent prepared to contend with a nasty heat wave:<\/p>\n

Armed with 400 cases of Gatorade, 200 cases of bottled water, 150 cases of Gatorade supplements, a herd of water buffaloes, a state-of-the-art Slush Puppy machine and a frozen flotilla of Popsicles, the Steelers came to training camp fully equipped to beat the heat.\u00a0<\/em>Unofficially, it is their first scheduled opponent: July 21-Aug. 21, at Latrobe.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

The Great Meteorologist in the Sky graciously provided a canopy of clouds under which the Steelers toiled yesterday morning, the start of two-a-day practices. The heat index, measured closely by the team\u2019s medical staff, hovered at a bearable 86 for the morning. But it reached 95 under clear skies during the day\u2019s second session.<\/em><\/p>\n

“It got a little hot this afternoon,\u201d Coach Bill Cowher mused after one lineman, Tony Orlandini from Pitt, walked off the fields with 20 practice minutes remaining with cramps.<\/em><\/p>\n

Pause.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

Smirk.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cHopefully,\u201d the coach added, \u201cit\u2019ll get a little hotter tomorrow.\u201d \u2026<\/em><\/p>\n

Finder also noted that a certain rookie that year found an extreme way to cool down.<\/p>\n

Nevertheless, the thick air and even thicker activity here yesterday combined to make it feel toasty enough for Steelers rookies, free-agents and selected veterans to hose down Saint Vincent College\u2019s fields with perspiration.\u00a0<\/em>Which might explain why Hines Ward threw himself into a garbage can afterward.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

The golden barrel was one of three sitting along the side door to Kennedy Hall, housing the team\u2019s training room and locker room. The barrel was filled with ice water and, up to his waist, a 6-foot, 194-pound rookie receiver weaned on the brutally hot fields of Georgia sat inside clutching a Gatorade in his right hand and an orange drink in his left.<\/em><\/p>\n

Just chilling.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

“I don\u2019t have any legs,\u201d he said, \u201cand it\u2019s the third day of training camp.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Normal people would call them water breaks.<\/p>\n

Look at the picturesHaving a drink with the Steelers<\/span><\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1519,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"gallery","meta":{"jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false,"jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true},"categories":[944],"tags":[974,976,1002,1003,1006,1179,1030],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newsinteractive.post-gazette.com\/thedigs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/08\/tumblr_mr8hpg258T1rr5swxo4_1280.jpg?fit=1280%2C922&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":1494,"url":"https:\/\/newsinteractive.post-gazette.com\/thedigs\/2013\/08\/16\/steelers-and-their-fans-throughout-the-years-at-the-training-camp-in-latrobe\/","url_meta":{"origin":1518,"position":0},"title":"Steelers and their fans throughout the years at the training camp in Latrobe","date":"August 16, 2013","format":"gallery","excerpt":"As usual, several thousand fans will be there to see off the team.","rel":"","context":"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newsinteractive.post-gazette.com\/thedigs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/08\/tumblr_mrle9de95j1rr5swxo3_r1_1280.jpg?fit=1200%2C875&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":2066,"url":"https:\/\/newsinteractive.post-gazette.com\/thedigs\/2013\/02\/11\/steelers-fans-high-on-their-football-team\/","url_meta":{"origin":1518,"position":1},"title":"Steelers fans high on their football team","date":"February 11, 2013","format":"gallery","excerpt":"Steelers fans always have been a colorful bunch.","rel":"","context":"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newsinteractive.post-gazette.com\/thedigs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/tumblr_mi18pbiHaX1rr5swxo3_1280.jpg?fit=1200%2C902&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":1339,"url":"https:\/\/newsinteractive.post-gazette.com\/thedigs\/2013\/10\/02\/remembering-l-c-greenwood\/","url_meta":{"origin":1518,"position":2},"title":"Remembering L. C. Greenwood","date":"October 2, 2013","format":"gallery","excerpt":"Never elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, but still a Pittsburgh legend.","rel":"","context":"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newsinteractive.post-gazette.com\/thedigs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/10\/tumblr_mu0drrJ5Uc1rr5swxo3_1280.jpg?fit=1200%2C713&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":5619,"url":"https:\/\/newsinteractive.post-gazette.com\/thedigs\/2015\/07\/29\/the-57-steelers-and-their-colorful-chain-smoking-coach\/","url_meta":{"origin":1518,"position":3},"title":"The ’57 Steelers and their colorful, chain-smoking coach","date":"July 29, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"The 1957 Steelers entered training camp as a lousy team, but new coach Buddy Parker was determined to make winners out of losers, even if he had to resort to fisticuffs.","rel":"","context":"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newsinteractive.post-gazette.com\/thedigs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/Digs.TumblrHTY_buddyparker006.jpg?fit=1080%2C870&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":2297,"url":"https:\/\/newsinteractive.post-gazette.com\/thedigs\/2012\/11\/13\/who-was-the-toughest-steeler-ever\/","url_meta":{"origin":1518,"position":4},"title":"Who was the toughest Steeler ever?","date":"November 13, 2012","format":"gallery","excerpt":"Here\u2019s another side of Jack Lambert.","rel":"","context":"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newsinteractive.post-gazette.com\/thedigs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/tumblr_md6e69ccdz1rr5swxo1_1280.jpg?fit=1200%2C832&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":2655,"url":"https:\/\/newsinteractive.post-gazette.com\/thedigs\/2012\/08\/07\/jan-20-1980-in-super-bowl-xiv-bradshaw-was\/","url_meta":{"origin":1518,"position":5},"title":"Taking photos of Terry Bradshaw in Pasadena","date":"August 7, 2012","format":"gallery","excerpt":"Super Bowl XIV was quite special for PG photographer Joyce Mendelsohn and Terry Bradshaw.","rel":"","context":"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newsinteractive.post-gazette.com\/thedigs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/08\/Screen-Shot-2014-12-17-at-12.49.01-AM.png?fit=1200%2C519&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsinteractive.post-gazette.com\/thedigs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1518"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsinteractive.post-gazette.com\/thedigs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsinteractive.post-gazette.com\/thedigs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsinteractive.post-gazette.com\/thedigs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsinteractive.post-gazette.com\/thedigs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1518"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/newsinteractive.post-gazette.com\/thedigs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1518\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4225,"href":"https:\/\/newsinteractive.post-gazette.com\/thedigs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1518\/revisions\/4225"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsinteractive.post-gazette.com\/thedigs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1519"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsinteractive.post-gazette.com\/thedigs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1518"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsinteractive.post-gazette.com\/thedigs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1518"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsinteractive.post-gazette.com\/thedigs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1518"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}