the players, media and any staff from professional or minor

PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Steelers cant explain it exactly. Theyre not much into excuses either.Yet theres no denying the offense that runs so smoothly at Heinz Field looks decidedly less potent when forced to hop a plane, sleep in a hotel and dress in the visitors locker room. Save for a season-opening romp in Washington more than two months ago, the Steelers (4-5) have been more Pinto than Porsche on the road.The team that expects to average 30 points a game this season has mustered just 32 combined over 12 largely comatose quarters in Philadelphia , Miami and Baltimore . While a reprieve would seem to await in Cleveland (0-10) on Sunday, Pittsburgh is taking nothing for granted. After the way it sleepwalked against the Ravens in a 21-14 loss two weeks ago, it cant afford to. Pittsburgh didnt cross midfield until well into the second half and didnt score into what amounted to garbage time.It was miserable, guard David DeCastro said. Ive never been a part of something like that like, `What are we gonna do? Its not like we were getting manhandled where youre `Alright, theyre better than us. It was frustrating.While offensive coordinator Todd Haley pointed to Ben Roethlisbergers rustiness coming back from left knee surgery as part of the problem in Baltimore -- leading to a limited playbook designed to protect the franchise quarterback -- as part of the issue, it wasnt the only one. The Steelers couldnt run either, mustering just 36 yards on 18 carries, creating a snowball effect that led to numerous third-and-long situations and ultimately, a season-high 10 punts by Jordan Berry.Pittsburgh is converting just 31 percent of its third downs during its three-game road slide, compared to a 42 percent conversion rate at home, where the Steelers also average 28.8 points. The disparity is jarring.You know, we go on the road and its obviously a lot louder, Roethlisberger said. And you have to use the silent count and that means `head bob, gun or under center. So just some kind of timing could be off a little bit ... We pride ourselves in years past here being a great road football team. And we need to do that. Were going to have to start this week.Thats typically not a problem for Roethlisberger in Cleveland, where hes lost just twice in 11 career starts. Overall, though, the gap between his effectiveness at home and on the road is widening. During Haleys four-plus seasons calling the plays, Roethlisberger is 15-18 with 45 touchdowns and 31 interceptions away from Heinz Field. Compare that to a 24-9 mark with 82 touchdowns and 23 picks when he wakes up on game day a short drive from the Terrible Towel twirling masses.There are numerous other variables at play, including a defense thats not exactly lights out anymore and one forced to go the rest of the season without defensive end Cam Heyward , who is out with a pectoral injury.That puts the onus on the offense to carry even more of the load. Its one the Steelers have looked perfectly capable of bearing at times, though not nearly enough during a four-game losing streak thats sucked all the momentum out of a 4-1 start.Its not anything the opposing team is doing or the crowd. We just havent performed well, running back LeVeon Bell said. Dropping balls, penalties, whatever it may be. I just think weve got to get better.Haley often likes to turn to the no-huddle when the offense is in need of a jump start, though opportunities have been limited at best recently. While Pittsburgh did score 14 points in the fourth quarter against the Ravens, DeCastro allows it was basically garbage time with Baltimore up three touchdowns.Youve got to mix it up if somethings not working, DeCastro said. But I thought we had a good plan. It wasnt getting the job done maybe ... switch it up sooner and give us a chance.Maybe, but Pittsburghs defensive limitations mean the offense probably needs to control the ball instead of pushing the pace. With four of their next five on the road, the Steelers know they need to score -- fast, slow or in between -- if they want to chase down the Ravens in the so-so AFC North.We have a very high standard coming into this year, Haley said. At times weve been close to what were trying to get, other times we havent. We need to eliminate the (bad) habits.Game notes C Maurkice Pouncey (finger), WR Sammie Coates (finger), TE Ladarius Green (finger), TE Xavier Grimble (quadriceps) practiced Thursday. ... 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Wragge hit 9-of-14 from behind the arc, matching Kyle Korvers school record for 3-pointers in a game set in 2003, as Creighton (16-3, 6-1 Big East broke a conference record with 21 treys in the rout. Video games are supposed to be fun.Sometimes you forget that in the world of esports, especially when youre inside the industry. To the untrained eye, esports, or competitive video gaming in its purest definition, is a haven for unbridled laughter and joy. How could it not be? Teenagers and early 20-somethings get to play their favorite games for ludicrous prize money in front of arenas full of screaming fans.I hate to break it to you, but esports isnt fun much of the time. Its a job that for some players means upwards of 12 to 14 hours a day of work, and if theyre lucky, one or two days off a week to rest. The professionals have almost no job security unless theyre at the very top of their preferred game. Even then, a top players peak on average lasts only a year or two before that player is surpassed by the next generation.At last weeks Scouting Grounds, Riots League of Legends combine for the NA LCS that wasnt really a combine at all, fun was the name of the game -- as well as learning and competition. Thats why it was one of my favorite events of the year.As I sat in the Immortals house early last week, I watched BmxSpecks, a 20-year-old aspiring jungler from Toronto, marvel at the fact that he was practicing in the same seat as former NA LCS MVP Reignover, whom Specks idolized the past two years. Specks laughed as he locked in Reksai for one of his first scrimmages as part of Team Mountain, the amateur team of five that was drafted by the Immortals organization to face off with the junior teams created by Team Liquid (Ocean), Counter Logic Gaming (Cloud) and Echo Fox (Infernal). Specks hoped his forthcoming Reksai play wouldnt sully Reignovers monitor. (Spoiler: He played well.)[Immortals] taught us a lot, the jungler said following the conclusion of the weeklong exhibition/experiment. If I were to take anything from Scouting Grounds, it would be that the players, on all four teams, were taught a lot. From media training to practicing in a real pro environment to playing onstage, the players were given a crash course in how the pros live. The short week was packed with practicing, learning from Riot, playing official games and practicing some more until the players had to leave the team houses and return to their hotels.Its a tournament youre supposed to showcase your skills, but I learned more in this tournament than I did in my two years of playing solo queue, said Tuesday, 18, from Quebec, Canada, and the top pick of Team Mountain. Of all the players on the team, Tuesday was the one expected to have the best chance of making a pro roster one day.A talented individual player, Tuesday impressed in spurts but learned the difference between playing online and at an offline setting. He came in confident, expecting to be the top player at his position in the field, and he left a more developed player, learning from his mistakes and becoming a player he would have never realized without Scouting Grounds.Team Mountain went 0-6 and lost all their matches. The team did well in scrims; however, in official matches, the team failed to scratch, continually doing well in the early-game before failing in the latter parts of the match. If the tournament were conducted online, the team probably would have swept the field and won the championship. That isnt what it takes to become a pro, though, and they learned it the hard way. The losses kept piling up, and with little time to breathe or practice, the five amateurs were overwhelmed, succumbing to the pressure.After the final loss, the team sat silently in its designated green room, with a Team Mountain logo situated on the door, the players mumbling to themselves or going outside to get some air.The one request all the players on the team made to Riot Games, if there is a Scouting Grounds 2, is more games. More opportunities to play. More chances to learn. And, if possible, a longer event. The players from Team Mountain, and assuredly for the rest of the groups, werent ready to go home. They were learning, having the time of their lives, and the clock was striking midnight, ready to send them on their way home baack to the North American solo queue, where bad habits die hard and the development they received might wash away with no coaches to keep them focused.ddddddddddddI learned I can play more champions, said Bobjenkins, 17, the top laner from New Jersey who entered this tournament seen as a one-trick Kennen with not much else in the arsenal. To the surprise of no one, including himself, Kennen was banned in every game Bobjenkins played, which forced him onto the likes of Gnar and Yasuo.Im not a one-trick anymore. I think I improved on reading the map better, being more vocal and calling out teleport flanks more, Bobjenkins said.Even when the team was two matches down with four straight losses, the players attempted to calculate ways they could somehow make it into the final match with one game remaining. Just one more match. Just two more matches. Just more games was their thought process. When the dream of playing on the LCS stage was ultimately destroyed for good, there was no yelling between the players or pointing the finger. It was sadness, like the last day of summer, realizing that soon the world would return to monotone colors and daily life would begin once more.I want to be a pro even more so after getting a taste of what its like, said Shynon, 21, the teams marksmen and shot-caller throughout the event. Knowing that those world-class players practiced there [at the Immortals house] makes an even bigger fire [within me] to go pro.The other four members mirrored in response. The losses, while stinging, were not the takeaway for the players or coaches involved. It was a training ground more so than a scouting ground, with the players focusing on self-improvement over standing out amongst their teammates. Riot awarded the players in NA solo queue who did well enough in the Ladder to get the wall, and only the players who passed the personality test were invited.Whether or not we see Tuesday suit up for an NA LCS team in the future is not the barometer of success for Scouting Grounds. Making it as a pro is difficult, paved with countless people with the same amount of skill and devotion who fail to make the cut for one reason or another. If the players who leave Scouting Grounds return to solo queue with a positive mindset, and even are a little better than before, more informed, and able to create a healthy, optimistic environment for the future of North Americas online and minor league scene, then Scouting Grounds is a success, and a sequel should be a when and not an if.I like everyone on their team. Theyre pretty cool, said Winter, the teams support, in giving his final thoughts on the entire journey. I thought players on the other teams might be toxic, but actually not. Theyre all super cool.Its the truth of the event. At the end of the final between Team Ocean and Team Cloud, where Ocean swept Cloud to win, Riot had an after-finals meet-and-greet with all the players, media and any staff from professional or minor league teams that came to watch the action. Although a few players were hurried along to talk to representatives from teams, the rest stayed on the LCS stage, looking around at the monitors and setup, talking with pros about their love of the game -- for some of them, it was their first time to do so.Joshua Dardoch Hartnett, one of the coaches for Team Ocean and the former jungler for Team Liquid, stood at the peak of the stage, talking casually about the game as the group of amateurs, some of them older than him, hung on his every word and stared at the real-life example of somebody who went from nowhere a year ago to one of the brightest talents in the western region.When asked if I saw any players I thought could be future NA LCS players, I honestly couldnt answer. Too little time and too little data to see how the players grew over days of practice.When asked if I had a good time, if I had fun? The answer without hesitation is yes.It was one of the most fun events of the year, and it wasnt even streamed. ' ' '