by Aubrey Bruce, For New Pittsburgh Courier
The Pittsburgh Steelers played the Baltimore Ravens at Heinz Field on Oct. 6, 2019, a day that will certainly live in infamy: well at least as far as the Pittsburgh Steelers and the NFL is concerned. The Ravens broke the 23-23 tie with a field goal on overtime, winning by the score of 26-23.
However, the Steelers QB woes—and woes in general—continue. Within the past month the team has lost its starting QB, probable future hall of famer Ben Roethlisberger, to a season ending elbow injury. His backup, second-year QB Mason Rudolph, was knocked unconscious for several minutes in the third quarter of the Steelers/Ravens bloodletting.
Rudolph’s injury occurred after being hit by Baltimore Ravens defensive back Earl Thomas. All of the prayers of fans as well as the media go out to Rudolph, his family and the Steelers wishing him a thorough and speedy recovery.
However, even in the midst of dealing with a serious player injury, folks still have time to put their scalpels aside to bring forth their guillotines reserved only for Mike Tomlin. I feel terrible about Mason Rudolph’s injury but no one is speaking too loudly about the numerous passes that he misfired that took away numerous first downs for the Steelers in the first half. Also, there were many deaf mutes that all but ignored the horrible play-calling by Steelers offensive coordinator Randy Fichtner. Tomlin was again blamed for the misfiring of the “Bobcat” (that’s what I call it, not “Wildcat”) pick thrown by Jaylen Samuels deep in Steelers territory.
If the offensive coordinator can’t accept responsibility for anything, why does he continue to be employed?
From the outset, there are many folks in this market since Mike Tomlin has been hired that have intentionally hit him, low, high and anywhere in-between. Since his arrival in Pittsburgh over 12 years ago, they have let it be known that he will never be accepted, liked or appreciated in the Steel City. They have been and continue to be members and red-blooded card carriers of the secret and not so secret organization known as the #nevertomlins.
Here’s where politics and sports may be joined in “unholy matrimony.” When Senator Barack Obama was elected the first African American President of the United States, the Republican Party leader of the United States Senate, Mitch McConnell, issued the following battle cry with a wry confederate smile plastered all over his face. “The single most important thing we want to achieve is for President Obama to be a one-term president.”
As we all know, that didn’t happen.
During the 2016 presidential election there were also folks on the left and right that vowed that Donald Trump would never be elected president.
We all know how that turned out. Those folks go by the name of the “nevertrumpers.”
Let’s fast forward to the current coaching atmosphere surrounding Mike Tomlin. There has been a conscious effort by many fans and members of the media alike to make Mike Tomlin a year-to-year head coach since his tenure. That has been their constant goal.
They are known as the #nevertomlins.
The #nevertomlins could not even wait until the Steelers/Ravens game concluded before retreating to the safety of their “editorial basements,” brewskis in hand, again ready to throw trash on Mike Tomlin’s lawn after throwing him under the bus. These living bobbleheads continue to use and misuse the airwaves at their disposal to express their serious biases and reservations about Mike Tomlin and any decision that he makes; good, bad or indifferent. They don’t believe in pulling the wool over their listeners’ and readers’ eyes; they adhere to perpetrating the “eyes wide shut” syndrome.
From naming another man head coach of the Steelers on the day before Mike Tomlin was hired to whispering rumors and fake news into every ear that Mike Tomlin is available when any college or NFL coaching vacancy occurs. There is always a red carpet for Mike Tomlin leading out of Pittsburgh. Mike Tomlin is always responsible for defeat when the Steelers lose and he is always a long lost footnote when they are successful.
Let’s all do the following, boys and girls. Let’s just all say bye, bye, bye to the #nevertomlins.
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