When it comes to the rivalry between the Cleveland Browns and Pittsburgh Steelers, Ken Carman and Andrew Fillipponi play their respective parts.
But the Cleveland and Pittsburgh radio hosts are also friendly enough with each other that they were willing to watch Sunday’s AFC North matchup together at Huntington Bank Field, where the Browns beat the Steelers 13-6.
Suffice it to say, both hosts had very different reactions to Cleveland’s upset win.
Taking to X in the immediate aftermath of the game, Carman posted a video of himself celebrating in the upper deck of the Browns’ home stadium. “Let’s go!” the 92.3 The Fan host shouted into the camera, before panning to Fillipponi, who could only offer a dejected middle finger in response.
“Woooo!” Carman yelled, before punctuating the clip with a hearty laugh.
— Ken Carman (@KenCarman) December 28, 2025
“This was easily a career and possibly life low point,” Fillipponi, who famously pierced his nipples after the Steelers failed to make good on his guarantee that they would beat the Cincinnati Bengals earlier this season, wrote while reposting the video.
While the Browns have (surprisingly) found some success against the Steelers in recent years, this loss to Cleveland was especially painful for Pittsburgh. Not only did it come against a Browns team that entered Sunday with a 3-12 record, but it also denied the Steelers of what would have been an AFC North-clinching victory, forcing Pittsburgh into a winner-take-all game with their playoff hopes on the line against the Baltimore Ravens in Week 18.
Following the game, a narrative also emerged that the Steelers had prioritized stopping Myles Garrett from setting the single-season sacks record over actually beating the Browns. Based on his postgame social media activity, it appears that Fillipponi doesn’t disagree.
Myles Garrett RIPS Steelers. Says gameplan was more worried about him breaking record. Than winning the game. I can’t disagree. pic.twitter.com/AftXc1OZTT
— Andrew Fillipponi (@ThePoniExpress) December 28, 2025
Considering the stakes of the game, the magnitude of the upset and the reality that he had to watch all of it in-person while seated next to his radio rival, Fillipponi’s disappointment is certainly understandable. On the bright side, he won’t have to get any more body piercings — at least that we’re aware of — as a result of the Steelers’ latest loss.
About Ben Axelrod
Ben Axelrod is a veteran of the sports media landscape, having most recently worked for NBC's Cleveland affiliate, WKYC. Prior to his time in Cleveland, he covered Ohio State football and the Big Ten for outlets including Cox Media Group, Bleacher Report, Scout and Rivals.