PITTSBURGH — As I approached the press entrance to Heinz Field, I noticed a sudden commotion outside the door.

My natural reporter’s instincts required me to investigate. It turned out that the cause of all the fuss was rapper Snoop Dogg, who was posing for photos while surrounded by his entourage. Standing only a few feet behind him was the largest and meanest-looking guy I had ever seen in my life (and I’ve been around the NFL for more than 30 years), glaring at everyone who came near the Snoopster. My guess (and hope) is that it was Snoop’s body guard.

Snoop was wearing a Steelers’ sweatshirt, but it wasn’t merely because he was playing to the hometown fan. Apparently, even though he grew up in Southern California, he is genuinely a huge fan of the team. On Wednesday, he visited the Steelers’ practice facility to meet the players and coach Mike Tomlin.

Snoop is not performing tonight; he’s just taking in the game. However, he does have a concert scheduled near here tomorrow.

– Vic Carucci

Posted in: Sidelines  | comments  |