Tomlin Needs This One

Everyone surrounding the Steelers matchup this week with Arizona will try to play it off as just another game. In the words of Colonel Potter, "Mule Fritters!". Mike needs this game badly. He needs this game like Rosie O'Donnel needs cupcakes. The Steelers are far superior in talent to the Cardinals, especially on the defensive side of the ball. Should the Steelers lose this week, everyone who questioned Tomlin getting hired instead of Ken Whisenhunt or Russ Grimm will come out of the woodwork to voice their opinion. I don't want to hear it. I originally wanted Grimm for the job when I thought they would only go in-house to fill the position. However, once Mike was hired, I read everything I could about him and I liked what I read....a lot. He is to the point in everything he does. Nothing wasted. Nothing left unturned. The man means business and he captured the players attention on day 1. He challenged Hines Ward to be better than ever and sent him a letter as to what he expected. He's young and he's a football geek, all x's and o's, all the time. So far we've only been involved in blowouts with him so we don't know what he'll do under pressure. We don't know if he'll be aggressive or kick the field goal. We don't know if he'll flip out on the sidelines when we are the ones getting owned. All that being said, I like what I see so far. Focus on the now. Don't look past anyone. Today is the most important day of the season....and tomorrow will be as well. I really want to get behind this coach and give him my support. Will I care if they lose on Sunday? Nah. 3-1 is a good way to start the season. I just don't want to hear the Boo Birds crying that the wrong guy was hired. If you're going to wait until week 4 to say that - why weren't you saying it after the 3 wins as well? The good thing about this being played in Arizona is that their fans suck and I'm betting 20,000 Steeler fans will be in attendance behind Mike. Sure I'd like to be 4-0, but the win over "those two" will mean so much more.

Steelers Trading Up Again?

More than a few rumor websites have the Arizona Cardinals and former Steeler's coaches Ken Whisenhunt and Russ Grimm trying to trade for Max Starks. The Steelers would send Starks and their 15th pick in the first round to the Cardinals for their 5th pick in the first round. Likely? I don't think so. Is Starks that coveted? Grimmy must think so. Now, is it worth it for us to move up 10 spots? Again, I don't think so. Unless our braintrust has their hearts set on somebody way up there, I don't see the team wanting to take on the extra salary and bonus of a top 5 pick. With Marvel Smith aging, can we afford to give up our other tackle? Stay tuned.

Thoughts On Mike Tomlin Hiring

After soaking all of the drama in for a few days, I think I finally understand the decision of Mike Tomlin as head coach. First of all, he fits more of the "Rooney Rules" than Russ Grimm does. Tomlin is the age that they like. Tomlin is a defensive guy. Tomlin was a defensive coordinator. Tomlin is from outside the organization. The only thing Russ Grimm had going for him that the Rooney's like is that he's a local boy. Tomlin is from Virginia. Now, putting all those rules aside - I think they were just more impressed with Tomlin. I really feel that since the Steelers finished a disappointing 8-8 last season - they felt the need to shake things up. Maybe productivity was going down due to comfort level. I've seen that happen before in jobs. Someone leaves a management position and now "one of the guys" takes over and they don't command the same respect. Bringing in an unknown will put everyone on edge and they will all be busting their asses when camp rolls around to impress the new coach. I think they Rooneys discussed money with Russ at the 2nd interview and he read too much into it. The Trib source claims Grimm was told he could tell those close to him that we was going to get the job. Grimm now says that didn't happen. I have a hard believing the Rooneys offered him the job and then rescinded. It doesn't sound like them....or should I say it doesn't sound like Dan. We're all still feeling out how Art II works. I also found it a little odd that when Grimm left the building after packing his boxes for Arizona and The Whiz that he said "I'm A Pittsburgh guy, I'll be back." Does his new employer halfway across the country really want to hear that he's planning on returning already? And in what capacity did he mean that? Maybe he'd be a good fit for Pitt. And just what's wrong with Grimm anyway that he can't land one of these jobs? The Bears passed. The Cardinals passed. Maybe the Rooneys were thinking "What are our fans going to think if we hire the loser of the Cardinal's coaching job? What if Arizona goes 10-6 and we go 8-8 again. People will kill us for not hiring Ken Whisenhunt." All plausible scenarios I guess. Anyway, I watched the press conference and I was excited when it was over. This team needs a kick in the butt and it will be fun to watch Dick Lebeau preach the 3-4 to a 4-3 cover 2 disciple. We'll see which one wins out. If we draft a lot of DLs this year, get ready for the 4-3. I'm guessing they'll stay base 3-4 this year but maybe work in some 4-3 sets in special situations. Either that or the Rooneys used the Jedi Mind Trick on young Tomlin and made him retain Yoda (LeBeau) to reprogram himself. We'll see.

Steelers New Coach, Bad Feelings?

I'll tell you what? With all the weird things going on surrounding this selection - how can the new coach not feel like he was being played against the other? Multiple sources reported the coach had been selected....but with a different coach! I'll assume ESPN had better sources and it will be Tomlin, but my goodness. Kind of weird that the Steelers are in a kind of circus atmosphere which is SOOOOO unlike them.

Totally Perplexed

I read numerous accounts of the story that SI.com posted Saturday stating that Tomlin was announced as coach. There just doesn't seem to be a good reason for it. Could it be that SI.com had already written 3 different pieces that announce the Steelers new coach - each with a different choice - and one of them was posted accidently? That seems far fetched. The only conclusion that makes sense to me is that Tomlin is the choice and someone couldn't contain themselves from leaking it to the press....yet nobody will confirm the report taking the legs out from under the story. Weird. Well, I guess there's still hope for Grimmy as I favor the continuity angle. If they are waiting to interview Rivera a second time, I wish they would just come out and say it.

Whiz Wants Arians...and more

Well, the Steelers may want to name Grimmy before Whiz raids the cookie jar. He has asked for permission to interview Bruce Arians as well as a defensive coach and our special teams coach. Well, if Dog is right and Mark Whipple would be better as OC than Arians - then he can have all 3 if you ask me. Our special teams haven't been special in quite some time! If the Steelers name Grimm, he may keep most of the assistants. However, if Tomlin or Rivera gets the nod - they will likely clean house and bring in their own people. Did you notice who Whiz fired as the Cardinals OC? None other than Mike Kruczek!

Reading Between The Lines

While I've never read that Art Rooney II or Bill Cowher has gone on record as saying they don't like each other - I'm starting to piece together a puzzle that says as much. While no single item points to this, many small items added together surely do. I read an article that pointed out that during Cowher's press conference, he thanked Dan Rooney and mentioned "The Chief", but did not thank Art Rooney II who has been running the team officially since 1993 while Dan remained Chairman. The same article also pointed out that Art did not show much love when he introduced Cowher at the conference - doing it very quickly. Remember, it was Art who mentioned - correctly - a few years ago that it was time for the Steelers to win another Championship. Was that a subtle way of telling Bill Cowher he couldn't hold the job forever without winning one? Was it Bill's way of telling Art to go "F himself" by resigning so soon after finally winning it all? I'm assuming Art had final say over Cowher's contract as team President. There are always going to be Cowher detractors, but the city has to be slanted in his (Cowher's) favor at least 80-20. I'm just not sure what all of this means. I read something this morning that is so subtle the article I read didn't even mention the possibility of the Art Rooney / Bill Cowher rift entering into it. Chan Gailey was added to the Steelers search for a head coach and had the recommendation of.....Bill Cowher. It is rumored that he gave no such support for Grimmy or The Whiz. So, after the Steelers interviewed Chan Gailey - they announced their shortlist for second interviews. Gailey was not on the list. Hmmmm. The second I read that, I bridged the stories together to come to the conclusion that maybe Art II used Gailey as a pawn in his chess match with Bill Cowher. It was another instance where he could take a little jab while remaining classy and not make anything public. It's just a theory. I'm not taking sides. I was a big fan of Bill Cowher. Like Still A Dog, I feel that he was too conservative at times in the second half of his career - but he did bring us a tremendous amount of success and respect in those 15 years.

Whisenhunt Doomed To Mediocrity

Well, your new Steelers head coach will not be one Ken Whisenhunt who accepted a 4 year contract with an option for a fifth year with the Arizona Cardinals. I really like Ken and I hope he does well there, but come on. How many times do we need to be fooled by this team in the preseason? How many times in the last 10 years have you heard pundits gush over this team and pick them to make the playoffs? I'm glad he got a head coaching position as it stregthens the roots on the Cowher coaching tree - but this franchise is doomed. It's like a curse has been placed on it. I'm also starting to wonder what's taking the Steelers so long to announce Russ Grimm if he is indeed their first choice? If he isn't, who are they going to surprise us with?

Chan Gailey - Huh?

The Steelers announced they are interviewing former Offensive Coordinator Chan Gailey for the open Head Coach position. If I'm Russ Grimm, I'm thinking they are doing this in order to drop my price when an offer is finally made. Chan Gailey? This is the man that introduced 5 wide receiver sets to Kordell Stewart. He's 55. He's currently a college coach. None of this fits the Rooney formula for selecting a coach. So why is he here? Your guess is as good as mine but I'd bet the house that he doesn't get hired. I hope and pray they aren't trying to make it look like Russ Grimm isn't their obvious choice to give them more leverage when it comes to making him an offer. If Barry Switzer gets an interview, then we'll know their strategy for sure.

New Twist To Cowher Decision

The Rooney family has agreed to give Bill Cowher until next Tuesday to make a final decision as to if he will return for another season. Sounds good in theory. The problem is, Ken Whisenhunt and Russ Grimm are already scheduled to have interviews with Atlanta and Arizona. If Whiz takes the Atlanta job and Grimm gets the Arizona job - then Cowher decides to walk - I will not be a happy camper. There could be a silver lining in all of this if it plays out that way - The Dog has been a fan of Mark Whipple for some time and thinks he is as good a candidate as any. I hate it that our coaching situation has turned into the kind of circus that I can't stand. I'm sure the Rooneys feel the same way.

Grimm Reality?

So there is nothing new revealed in this article that I haven't heard before. Sportswriters speculating over Cowher calling it a career in Pittsburgh. I say in Pittsburgh because if he did retire, it would only be until his 3 daughters are all out of college and then i'm sure the bug would bite him to get back in the game. John Fox better keep that team in the playoffs every year - that's all I have to say. It would be a sad, sad day for me if Cowher decided to leave. I have always been a huge Cowher fan. Yes, he got outcoached in big games before. Yes, he stayed with Kordell Stewart too long. Yes, he kicked some fieldgoals that were WAY too conservative for my taste (the 2004 AFC Championship game being the most memorable). But I think the positives outweight any negatives and the negatives are slight to begin with. He looks like a fan out there sometimes. I love his passion. I love his fire. He has toned it down quite a bit since the early days and now uses it more appropriately. Remember the faces he used to make every time Josh Miller would shank a punt? He is inspirational for the young guys and a player's coach for the older guys. Another weakness he let show in the late 90's and early 00's was that he was too loyal to some veterans....Jason Gildon comes to mind quickly...Chad Scott...Dwayne Washington. He always seemed to trust a 'B' tier veteran over an 'A' tier rookie. He's getting better at that. But let's not talk about him like he's already gone. This could all be pure speculation. But if he does plan to bolt after his contract is up, I hope Dan Rooney is aware of that decision already. I want Russ Grimm as the next head coach. No substitutes. Grimmy fits the Steeler mold. He is local and he knows the importance of line play. The Steelers entire offense revolves around strong line play. Look what happened in 2003 when the line was beat up. It was basically the same team that went very far in 2002. Although, the golden nugget of finishing so poorly was that they drafted Roethlisberger. I have a very short list of coaches I would accept - although I really doubt the front office would hire a coach with experience. They would probably scout long and hard and hire another coach with no HC experience. I like John Fox but he's too old. If you're going to coach for the Rooney's - you better have 10 plus years worth of tread on your tires. I would assume they would hire someone in their 30's. Another guy I really like is Jack Del Rio. He reminds me alot of Cowher. When you really think about it, there aren't that many current coaches that I would like to have as a HC for the next 10 or so years. I know I don't want an X's and O's geek (Norv Turner type) and I don't want a fancy college resume either (Steve Inferior) . You know who I'd really like as HC for the next 10 years.......Bill Cowher.