Does Mike Tomlin Bear Any Responsibility With Bell or Bryant?

[hawaiiansteeler]

Does Mike Tomlin Bear Any Responsibility With Bell or Bryant?

by steeldad



As we approach 24 hours since the depressing and angering news about Le’Veon Bell’s potential suspension, a common point of interest has surfaced on social media. Does Head Coach Mike Tomlin bear any responsibility in this mess?

The answer in my opinion is “no.”

There are however some things that Mike Tomlin needs to do in order to try and keep this crap from happening again. But I’ll get to those later because I want to focus on why he isn’t to blame first.

The vast majority of us know that even though we become “adults” at the age of 18 that doesn’t exactly mean we have reached maturity. So when a Martavis Bryant or Le’Veon Bell show up in your organization in their early 20’s with boatloads of money what is the expectation?

to read rest of article:

http://steelcityblitz.com/2016/07/23...y-bell-bryant/

[polamalubeast]

I do not think so.I mean, Bell and Bryant are not children.

But they are stupid, which is very sad, but this is not the fault of Tomlin on that.

[ALLD]

Cannot blame Tomlin for somebody's personal actions off the field. I am sure all players receive the talk about personal responsibility, but not all players think they need to follow it. Same thing when I ask my wife to perform a specific task for our business and she doesn't carry it out properly. She wants to do what she wants until it bites her/us.

[fansince'76]

Was waiting for this because it was inevitable. Surprised it took this long.

The answer, for about the thousandth time: NO. These are grown (albeit still young) men and Tomlin isn't a babysitter.

[st33lersguy]

No, Tomlin does not have the means to monitor the actions of every single player. Plus it isn't a locker room culture within the team either, for every idiot like Bell and Bryant there are far more people with their heads on straight like Ben, AB, Cam Heyward

[steelreserve]

I don't see how you can hold Tomlin accountable for what guys do when they go home for the offseason. The coach probably doesn't have much contact with them, and many of them are living in different states. It's their own fool decisions that do it.

Now, is there an opportunity to do something about it for next time? Maybe if one of your star players gets busted for weed the first time, you send someone to check up on them regularly the next offseason so they don't come back suspended? Something like that would probably make sense.

[Craic]

Had there been a culture of low-expectations or a loosely ran organization, then, I'd say he at least would have bared a little responsibility (see, for instance, mid-00s Bengals or the Cowboys). People—even adults—live up or down to the standards set upon them. But by all accounts, Tomlin runs a pretty tight ship. So, no.

[zulater]

Is Bill Bellichick to blame for Aaron Hernandez's sociopathic murder spree? No?

Then stfu with blaming Tomlin for grown men's inability to conduct themselves properly in the offseason.

[salamander]

Bell's and Bryant's behavior is in no way Tomlin's fault. I have my gripes on Coach T sometimes, but this is not his fault.

[Count Steeler]

Seriously? Why is this even a question? Someone doesn't like Tomlin very much, now does he?

Perhaps the article was written by the poster formerly known as TeeTee.

[Born2Steel]

Bear responsibility? He gave them the keys to the car. They know the rules of the road and how to drive. Now, who screwed up?

[polamalubeast]

Some tweets are funny!

[teegre]

Some tweets are funny!

Would this happen under Cowher? No... his players only sold weed.

The 1994 Super Bowl video and booking hotel rooms BEFORE the 2001 AFCCG disagree.

Bell gone two years ago... Agreed. Cowher would have drafted a right guard instead of Bell.

Yeeeeaaa... Cowher got rid of Morris right after he was caught by the FBI.

[teegre]

To clarify... I loved Cowher.

But, to blame Tomlin for Le'Veon Bell is akin to blaming Cowher for Bam Morris.


As Zu stated earlier, no one is (nor should they) blaming Belichick for drafting Aaron Hernandez.

[fansince'76]

Two words: Bam Morris.

Two more words: Eric Green.

Now STFU.

Yeeeeaaa... Cowher got rid of Morris right after he was caught by the FBI.

Bingo. And Plexiglass left via FA right after his poutfest in the locker room after the 2004 AFCCG and alligator-arming a sure TD pass. Another yinzer who needs to check their history...

[Mojouw]

Two words: Bam Morris.

Two more words: Eric Green.

Now STFU.

Tim Worley - drafted under St. Noll and drugged out and traded under Pope Cowher.
Joel Steed got suspended for PEDs in 1995. So did Wiggins (swing tackle under Cowher)

Here is the entire list. No more. No less than any other team.

As an aside, can you imagine if the testing policies and social media had been what they are now, how many of those Jimmy Johnson era Cowboys would have got suspended? They wouldn't have been able to field a team!

[tube517]

Surprised Jason Whitlock didn't write this.

[ALLD]

Pablo Escobar had season tickets to the Cowboys in the 1990s.

[pczach]

Why the hell do so many people look to pin every f*ing negative thing that happens to this franchise on Mike Tomlin?

When did the head coach of the Steelers become a malevolent entity?

To answer the question: NO.....Mike Tomlin does not bear any responsibility for the actions of two grown men who made bad decisions away from a football facility.

[Mojouw]

Mike Tomlinson, Obama, and Hilary are joining forces to destroy America.

[86WARD]

To clarify... I loved Cowher.

But, to blame Tomlin for Le'Veon Bell is akin to blaming Cowher for Bam Morris.


As Zu stated earlier, no one is (nor should they) blaming Belichick for drafting Aaron Hernandez.

Belichick is totally responsible for drafting Hernandez...he was a mess at UofF and had all the red flags in the world. He drafted Hernandez on the word of his "buddy" there at Florida. Bill isn't responsible for what Hernandez did, but he is responsible for knowingly drafting a potential whack job.

Hell on the other hand had zero issues in college from my recollection...

[tube517]

Tomlin should be blamed for not drafting Marino and for Barry Foster dropping the pass in the 1994 AFCC game.


This should not be news to anyone.

[steelerdude15]

Tim Worley - drafted under St. Noll and drugged out and traded under Pope Cowher.
Joel Steed got suspended for PEDs in 1995. So did Wiggins (swing tackle under Cowher)

Here is the entire list. No more. No less than any other team.

As an aside, can you imagine if the testing policies and social media had been what they are now, how many of those Jimmy Johnson era Cowboys would have got suspended? They wouldn't have been able to field a team!

What an interesting list. Thanks for posting.

[hawaiiansteeler]

[fansince'76]

As an aside, can you imagine if the testing policies and social media had been what they are now, how many of those Jimmy Johnson era Cowboys would have got suspended? They wouldn't have been able to field a team!

Pablo Escobar had season tickets to the Cowboys in the 1990s.

[BigNastyDefense]

You can't blame Mike Tomlin for the actions of grown men.

For whatever reason both players missed tested, you can't hold someone else responsible for that. First - it was the offseason and the Steelers coaching staff (and front office) are allowed very limited contact with players in the offseason (basically no contact is allowed).

People also bring up Santonio Holmes (who was drafted under Cowher) went from Super Bowl hero to traded to the Jets for a 5th round pick. I think part of the reason Holmes was traded was because they weren't going to pay him what he was going to want.

Maybe Bell wins his appeal. Maybe he doesn't. Bryant is gone for the season and one more screw up is more than likely the end of his NFL career (indefinite ban).

But no matter what, nobody can make their choices for them. Blaming Tomlin for their actions is absurd.

[st33lersguy]

It isn't Tomlin's job to make sure his players don't get suspended. It is only Tomlin's job to make sure people step up when his players get suspended and are not available