Oh Snap! Mike Tomlin Gets Sassy
By chris
Watch out, Roger Goodell. The teacher’s pet is turning into a rebel without a cause.
Mike Tomlin had some feisty words for the nitwits running the NFL in his Tuesday press conference. Most of it was directed at Ray Anderson, the goof most responsible for the sudden realization that football is a violent sport and *gasp* sometimes people get hurt. He sent a ridiculous video to all thirty-two NFL teams which contained such McNuggets of wisdom as, “Even though this hit is legal and not penalized, we’re going to be looking to eliminate such plays.”
This week, Anderson singled out James Harrison for “letting up” instead of doing what he’s paid to do: seek and destroy. Honestly, Harrison did restrain himself on at least two occasions that I noticed, once when he pulled up on Ronnie Brown foolishly coming across the middle. The other where a receiver was being dragged down by Ike Taylor and Silverback clearly bailed on the play. Congratulations, Ray Anderson, the biggest baddest bull of the woods has been neutered.
The comment that Harrison held up provoked this angry response from his head coach:
"“I didn’t see anything of that nature. If I appear short, it’s because it’s somewhat insulting to me to assume we’re doing anything under any normal circumstances other than trying to play within the rules.”"
This is why I love Tomlin. Some get annoyed by his wordy manner of speaking where he uses 14 words to say what could be said in 3. However, I’m constantly amazed by his eloquence. How many head coaches can basically tell an NFL official, “Get outta my face with your whack B.S.” and make it sound so diplomatic?
But wait, the best is yet to come. A reporter asked him what he thought about NFL officials commenting on his team’s style of play. His response?
"“”It would be tough for me to care less about their opinion, to be honest with you.”"
Oh snap! You got served, NFL!
Add team president Art Rooney strongly backing Harrison’s appeal of that ridiculous fine levied against him and it’s high time the NFL’s most important franchise showed some backbone when dealing with the Ginger Dictator. I’m sick and tired of the Commish acting like a leather clad dominatrix, beating the Black and Gold with his Fine and Suspension Whip while the Steelers just lay there like good little gimps saying, “Thank you sir. May I please have another?”
The great irony is Dan Rooney was the man who headed the committee which recommended Goodell for the job. But since then, it’s almost like he’s been out to get the league’s signature team. Constantly fining gritty, hard working players like Ryan Clark, Hines Ward, James Harrison, and various others for clean, hard, NON-PENALIZED plays. The unwarranted and unprecedented suspension of Ben Roethlisberger despite no credible evidence against him while Brett Favre escapes punishment despite a mountain of hard (actually, more like semi-hard) evidence only shows the level of bias we’re dealing with.
Hopefully, Tomlin’s snippy comments and Art Rooney’s siding against Ginger is a sign that the Steelers are mad as hell and not going to take it anymore. While I certainly have no respect for Jerry Jones and delight in his every misery, I do appreciate that he battles the NFL on practically every issue relating to his team. Siding with the league should not be unconditional. It should be done only when they are clearly in the right and those occasions are few and far between for the most arrogant, unilateral, and arbitrary (with their punishments) administration in all of sports.
It’s about time they stick it to The Man.