Rooney addresses criticism
By Rob Rossi, PITTSBURGH TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Art Rooney II, the son and grandson of Pro Football Hall of Fame NFL owners, reserves the right to continue his family tradition of running the Steelers with a "hands-on" approach. That does not mean he handpicked head coach Mike Tomlin's new offensive coordinator, Todd Haley.
"I can`t say what people on the outside think, but (Tomlin) picks his staff," Rooney told the Tribune-Review.
Fans not willing to buy those words should remember which two men spoke at the news conference at which Haley was introduced last week, Rooney said. Those men: Tomlin and Haley.
"Mike picks his staff, like I said, so he should talk about it in public," Rooney said in a wide-ranging interview. "The head coach should do the talking in that situation, not the owner."
Rare public criticism has come the Steelers` way since the team`s surprising loss at Denver in the first round of the AFC playoffs last month. Many callers to talk radio shows have questioned Rooney`s role in the brief retirement of former offensive coordinator Bruce Arians, the subsequent courtship and hiring of Haley, and Rooney's public critique of franchise quarterback Ben Roethlisberger.
Roethlisberger, who still had not met with Haley days after the hiring, requested a one-on-one with Rooney, who did not say if that meeting had occurred. However, Rooney acknowledged chatting with an unnamed player in his office at the team`s South Side facility as Tomlin introduced Haley at that news conference.
Read more: Rooney addresses criticism - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pitt...#ixzz1mawkmYgr
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We don't always get the details, now do we. Let's stop speculating and just trust the long term track record of the Steelers organization. They are not the best organization in sports for no reason.
Originally Posted by suitanim
