Jared Wickerham/Getty Images Offensive coordinator Todd Haley of the Pittsburgh Steelers during a game against the Carolina Panthers on September 3, 2015.
On Monday April 18 former Pittsburgh Steelers offensive coordinator Todd Haley led the USFL’s Tampa Bay Bandits to a 17-3 victory over Kirby Wilson’s Pittsburgh Maulers at Protective Stadium in Birmingham, Ala. The Bandits’ season-opening win aside, it’s clear that Haley is a good fit for the new league, as he doesn’t have to hold back in terms of expressing himself, like he did when he was with the Steelers or serving as head coach of the Kansas City Chiefs.
Before a late second-quarter play during the Bandits-Maulers game on Monday night, one of his defenders can clearly be heard yelling “Chicken salad! Chicken salad” to signal what appeared to be a defensive adjustment to a play call or alignment.
Did a Tampa Bay Bandits defender say “chicken salad” to troll the Maulers??? Or is that the name of one of their plays?? 😂 #USFL
For reference: t.co/jvNlYWXsgT
That was Haley poking fun at fellow former Steelers assistant Kirby Wilson, who made headlines hours earlier for having released Maulers running back De’Veon Smith before Pittsburgh played its first game, having purportedly disrespected a cafeteria worker while expressing his preference for pizza over chicken salad.
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De’Veon Smith and the Chicken Salad Incident
Wilson is seen cutting Smith in a clip from United on Football, a weekly show on FOX that documents the behind-the-scenes goings on in the USFL.
A USFL player got cut for ordering a pizza instead of a chicken salad. This league is absolutely electric.
According to the Maulers, Smith’s transgressions extended beyond the cafeteria, as he is said to have “violated three team rules in a 24-hour span,” which collectively warranted his dismissal.
Pittsburgh Maulers statement on De’Veon Smith being cut from the the team on ‘United by Football’.
Regardless, the USFL already has its answer to Peyton Manning’s “Omaha! Omaha!” Not to mention the seeds of a rivalry between teams led by coaches who worked together with the Steelers. You may recall that Haley was Pittsburgh’s offensive coordinator between 2012-17 while Wilson’s seven-year run as Steelers running backs coach overlapped the first two years of Haley’s tenure.
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After the Game Todd Haley Addressed Steelers Nation
After Monday night’s game Todd Haley sent a tweet expressing his appreciation for his team’s effort, while getting in another dig at the Maulers: “Glad we didn’t have to hear Renegade,” he tweeted, making reference #SteelerNation and the Styx anthem that is played during the fourth quarter of Steelers home games.
Proud of my @USFLBandits always great to get that first one under belt. Glad we didn’t have to hear Renegade! #SteelerNation
Many of the replies to Haley’s tweet were of the not-so-nice variety, including one observer who managed to take a shot at both Haley and Wilson in a single sentence, writing: “Haley that wasn’t football and you won’t find a worse coach to make a victory any easier!”
Another football fan chose to be witty, referencing the chicken salad-pizza incident by asking if Tampa Bay celebrated its victory with a pizza party.
Yet another simply replied with the audio for “Renegade,” saying “lol had too.”
The Tampa Bay Bandits (1-0) return to action on Sunday April 24 with a game against the New Orleans Breakers (1-0). The Pittsburgh Maulers (0-1) will try to get in the win column against the Philadelphia Stars (0-1) on Saturday April 23 with a game set to kick off at 9 a.m. Central. The Bandits and Maulers aren’t scheduled to play each other again this season.
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