Is Mike Tomlin on the “hot seat?”
You’re kidding, right? After one game, panic is everywhere in Yinztown. While the team did look pathetic against Tennessee and it won’t be good this year (we tried to warn you), it’s not because Mike Tomlin is a bad coach. Do I disagree with some of what he does? Yes. Do I think he’s a top five coach in the league? No. Is he top 10? Yes. The thing is, with all of the veterans that were signed to big contracts during Tomlin’s tenure, this was bound to happen. There’s the Steelers way of winning each year, but even they will need a rebuilding stage.
So at 8-8 last year (and to be fair, 0-1 this year) Tomlin’s head was called for. Let me show you my shocked face….-__-
The funny thing is, the Steelers don’t recycle coaches. Bill Cowher had two consecutive losing seasons in 1998 and 1999. Yes, losing ones and he didn’t go anywhere, did he? Tomlin has yet to have one so calm down on that a bit.
But what about at the end of this year? Will another 8-8 year mean trouble for Tomlin? It could mean he’s getting a little warm, but not the hot seat. Truth be told, Tomlin could lead his team to a 2-14 record and he’d be safe through this year.
Now, if the same happened next year, that’s when you could see Tomlin starting to squirm a bit.
Speaking of Bill Cowher….
Do you remember when the Jaw retired in 2006? The thought was he would take a year or two off and then rejoin the coaching ranks. 2007 came and went, as did 2008. But 2009 was the year! He had to come back, right? Many people thought he would go to Cleveland (not sure of the year with the gigantic turnover there), but again, it didn’t happen.
This offseason was the first time you didn’t hear his name much. Want to know why? He’s not coming back. Have I confirmed that with sources? No, I haven’t. Am I using reason? Yes, I am.
You see, much like Jon Gruden, Cowher is comfortable in a studio talking football. Cowher has to show up one day to work and that’s it. He’s had his amazing run. As much as you don’t want to believe it, he may be over coaching and studying film 27 hours per day. If he did want to come back, though, he would be handed any job he wanted in the blink of an eye. But without coaching, he can spend time with his family and travel to watch his daughter’s boyfriend, Ryan Kelly, play for the Lakers this year if he wishes.
You can keep wishing, but Cowher’s time in the NFL is done.
I admit I was wrong…
Two years ago, I wrote a debate piece with my friends Justin and Eddie at my school newspaper (HERE) . It was when the MLB announced it would have two wild card teams and a one-game playoff. They said the extra wild card team would help a team like the Pirates to make the playoffs. While conventional wisdom would say the same, I said there’s no way it would. I said that it would only help teams like the Braves, Marlins, Phillies, Dodgers, Giants, etc.
Well, I now admit I was wrong. If you watched any baseball this year than you know that. While the MLB screwed up with making the wild card a one-game playoff, the Pirates could be on the verge of missing the playoffs instead of securing a playoff spot.
One thing I won’t say I was wrong about is there being more focus on winning the division. Both men said that the extra wild cards puts more of a focus on winning the division and more of a goal. I said it didn’t because no matter what, every team had the goal to win the division. That’s the focus each year. It’s more crucial, yes. But the goal of winning it doesn’t mean more.
Hating offensive coordinators
Remember when Bruce Arians was here? He and Ben Roethlisberger were buddy-buddy. For some reason, fans wanted Arians gone. Was it because of the playcalling near the end zone or the third-down playcalling? Possibly. The thing is, when the team didn’t do well, Arians was the one to blame.
My friends Q and G-Bake, as well as my stepdad were three of the many that wanted Arians gone every year. I was one of the minority who thought Arians was a good coordinator and shouldn’t have been to blame.
Last year, when taking over the Colts for Chuck Pagano, Arians showed what type of coach he is as he led the Colts to the playoffs. Arians moved on to take the head coaching job in Arizona and they’ll be very, very competitive this season in the tough NFC West.
You know what’s funny? You can listen to sports radio now and hear people defending Arians! They say all the problems started when he left.
What’s the real reason? Offensive coordinators are scapegoats. They always have been and always will be. Coordinators, coaches and quarterbacks are the ones (in that order) who receive the blame after a loss. Steelers fans currently (and last year) hated Todd Haley. I’m not attacking Pittsburgh fans here. If you look around the NFL, you’ll struggle to find fan base that embraces their offensive coordinators, especially when losing.
