Question:

With the overwhelmingly negative response to the new Steelers mascot, Steely McBeam, is there any possibility that the Steelers organization would consider canning him this season? Personally, I don't think he should make it through the first round of cuts!

Ian Garrett, Jacksonville, Fla.

BOUCHETTE: You mean like New Coke, which lasted about 10 minutes after the public overwhelmingly rejected it? The old Terrible Fan, conceived by a fan who wore the costume in the stands to games, wasn't bad and even though he was not official, the Steelers tolerated him back in the 1970s and through much of the 1980s (I believe he retired). Stevie Steeler, forced on the Steelers by the NFL, wasn't around long. We'll see how long the NFL-inspired Terrible Mascot -- oops, Steely McBeam (me up?) -- lasts.