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View Full Version : Bill Cowher vs. Mike Tomlin: Round Two



polamalubeast
05-30-2013, 10:16 AM
I love being a Steelers fan. Even more so, I love debating with Steelers fans because, and forgive me for being biased, they are the most passionate and knowledgeable of all. After my round one match-up on Tuesday, many were questioning my sanity and what the relevance of the topic was. And while my sanity is debatable, the relevance is something else.
Whether or not we want to admit it, the Pittsburgh Steelers have some serious issues, both on and off the field. Now a coach can’t control the off the field stuff, but he can create an environment or a mentality that could translate to off the field matters. It’s also an organizational attitude as well, defined by the ownership on down. But unless you are Jerry Jones or Daniel Snyder, most owners keep out of the limelight and leave team matters to the head coach.
As I look back at the 2012 season and combine that with the off the field issues over the last few years with Ben, Santonio Holmes, Chris Rainey, etc and when I hear guys publicly airing team issues, it convinces me even more that this team is in trouble and has reached a critical juncture. And to that, I have reached the equal conclusion that Mike Tomlin has lost his effectiveness as a coach and control of his team. Plain and simple, that’s my opinion. I don’t think he has the coaching style or demeanor to light a fire under these guys anymore and the fact that the above mentioned issues have come under his watch (Roethlisberger’s motorcycle accident aside) should raise some eyebrows. Obviously, by the comments I received many of you feel differently.That’s perfectly fine, I don’t question anyone’s sanity for feeling that way.
However, before I examine why I have pitted Tomlin against Cowher, let’s look at the 2012 season.

It was pointed out that the Steelers lost 5 games by a combined 15 points. Hey, hard to argue with facts. But look at some other facts: First, in their 8 wins, they beat 4 teams with winning records including 3 playoff teams (Ravens, Bengals and Redskins). However, in their 8 losses, 5 came against teams with records of .500 or below including bottom feeders such as the 4-12 Raiders and the 5-11 Browns. The others were to 6-10 Tennessee, 7-9 San Diego and 8-8 Dallas. And remember, they barely beat 2-14 Kansas City. The combined record of all the teams Pittsburgh beat in 2012 was 56-72. The records of the teams they lost to was 63-65. Now before you all throw the old cliche that you can only play who is on your schedule at me, if you can’t beat the teams worse than you, what does that say about motivation and imposing your will? And don’t hand me this business about the NFL being much more equal than it has ever been, if you’re a winner, you don’t lost to 4-12 and 5-11 teams. Tomlin does have a very nice record against the division, going 25-11, including a sterling 6-0 in 2008 their Superbowl winning year and one of the most thrilling years in memory. One should note though that over the last three years their record against the division has been 5-1 to 4-2 to 3-3 last year. As the division has improved, Pittsburgh’s record against it has declined. Blame the offense, the defense, injuries or Santa Claus, in the end it all falls on the head man, Mr. Tomlin.



So what am I saying here? I’m saying Tomlin isn’t the man. I’m also saying that if Bill Cowher were still here, I truly believe much of this off the field garbage wouldn’t be. I also think he’d be the right type of personality to get the team back on track again, whereas I don’t think Tomlin is. While I think Cowher is and was a better fit for Pittsburgh, I don’t for one minute think they should bring him back. I think the front office should look for a coach like Cowher, whose style and personality not only fit the team, but the city. It is possible to catch lightning in a bottle twice. To back up why I feel this way, I am comparing the two coaches in a series of categories. On Tuesday I looked at how Cowher would not have tolerated lazy or sloppy play, how he was not afraid to jettison dead weight, not wait for it to depart via free agency. Other than briefly benching RB and first round dog Rashard Mendenhall, Tomlin seems less willing to shake things up. And under Cowher, locker room matters would have been handled in house, not on twitter or the NFL network.


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http://nicepickcowher.com/2013/05/30/bill-cowher-vs-mike-tomlin-round-two/

fansince'76
05-30-2013, 10:37 AM
To the writer of this idiotic blog: Cowher ain't coming back, dude. Deal. :coffee:

Oh, and was it really necessary to break the "Tomlin sucks, Cowher was the greatest ever" meme into multiple parts? Really?

X-Terminator
05-30-2013, 12:49 PM
I think this guy pretty much sums up a majority of Steelers fans in general. Besides, do we really want to get into how many times Cowher was "fired" by the fans? A whole lot of selective memory going on here too, like missing the playoffs 4 of 6 years, losing 4 AFCCG's at home, playing Kordell Stewart at QB for 5 seasons, too much loyalty to aging vets, etc. Yeah, let's just leave all that out.

Thank God the Rooney family doesn't listen to dopes like him. Otherwise, we would be the Raiders, Cowboys or Redskins...3 teams that haven't done shit for most of the last 2 decades.

GBMelBlount
05-30-2013, 02:07 PM
There are a lot of variables that make direct comparisons difficult.

Personalitywise (all other things being equal) I prefer the fire and brimstone....and Cowher definitely had a chin on his shoulder....until winning the superbowl.