About an hour ago
It’s one of those moments where I fall out of the way and let Steelers fans get after it.
The team ended the season 48-37 in a disgusting, humiliating way just on the wild card weekend.
People are fed up with head coach Mike Tomlin, quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, verbal receivers and a defense that fades quickly in the final month of the season.
Oh, and the Penguins lost 6-3 to the Flyers in the season opener.
So I’m giving the stage to ‘You crazy, bro?’ This is your canvas, people. This is your empty lead. Do it.
Let’s start with an email from William who wants to tear the steel … wait a minute. Something’s wrong here.
‘I celebrate their victories and I am disappointed with their losses. Regardless, I’m just a fan, and I’m looking forward to seeing what they’ve planning for next year.
‘What they could do was get an opportunity to see some of their young players who will form the team going forward, given the fact that some players can move on. Hopefully they will get good concept choices and the necessary youth, energy and growth.”
The … ?? !! Who allowed this man into the tree house?
I mean, he does not know how ‘You crazy, bro?’ work? Especially for the ‘post-Steelers elimination’ edition?
It is a balanced, thoughtful, concomitant response. And that kind of language will not be tolerated here!
Seriously, William, I appreciate your email address and your reply. But I can tell you exactly ‘what they planned for next year.’
A 6-10 record.
Honestly, that may be exactly what they need.
Let’s go on. Don K. sent an email titled, “Tomlin must go!”
OK. Now … NOW … we cook with gas.
‘Everyone must go. Tomlin always has something to say, but he does not get his team motivated to act. He’s in charge. He created the team and their undisciplined performance. He is completely responsible for his players and their achievements. They are humiliated and still can not act like professionals. When will he be held responsible for the unpreparedness of his team? How many years do we have to see him take our team nowhere?”
Ag. It’s better. Now we are dealing with speed.
Let me answer some of the questions, Don.
• When will Tomlin be held accountable because the team is unprepared? Never.
• How many more years will we see Tomlin lead the Steelers? At least one more. And if they scratch in the playoffs again, at least two.
• Is he “totally responsible” for the team’s undisciplined actions and undermotivated play? No. The players must be responsible for themselves.
I will introduce it to you, however. I do not know how much Tomlin is individually guilty of all that. But I do know that he could not stop it.
And that needs to change. If he can not do it, someone else must do it.
Jim skips over the debate over whether or not Tomlin will be fired. He goes right to name his replacement.
‘I wish we read your article on the five best candidates to replace Tomlin. Since (Art) Rooney II will NEVER fire Tomlin, how about you write the article anyway? ”
Jim, I can give the same names that everyone haunts for other work. Robert Saleh, Eric Bieniemy, Arthur Smith, a returning Bill Cowher, and ‘insert-name-gentlemen’ of someone who grew up in, around, or in the Pittsburgh area.
To your point, however, it is a waste of time as it is not going to happen.
I do want to make this point. There are a lot of people in the fan base, media and front office who might be thinking, ‘You can not fire Mike Tomlin, who else are you going to get?’
When you hear someone say this, immediately ask them if they have any idea who Tomlin is in December 2007.
Some will admit that they did not. Everyone else is lying.
Cowher’s replacement would be Russ Grimm or Ken Whisenhunt or Ron Rivera. Or Dave Wannstedt would get in the hallway from Pitt. Or Chan Gailey is going to be resurrected.
They found Mike Tomlin once. When I think about it, they found him three times if you count Cowher and Chuck Noll as well.
They can get Mike Tomlin back.
You did not think we would go through this exercise and leave fullback Ben Roethlisberger out of the mix, did you? Take it away, Larry.
‘See the photo of Ben sitting comfortably on the bench after the Browns game was for me an end to an era. It reminded me of the iconic photo of the aging Giants QB YA Tittle on one knee, blood flowing from a cut in his face during a game with the Steelers at Forbes Field.
“It’s time for Ben. Love and respect for everything you did for the franchise, but it is time. ”
Larry, forget about that photo. I immediately take YA Tittle over Roethlisberger to start 2021.
What? Oh, that’s a shame.
When? O, 2017.
You say he was 90 years old? Really ?!
Do not care. I stand by my opinion. I bet Tittle at least jumps on that bad snap from Maurkice Pouncey who sailed over Roethlisberger’s head and entered the end zone.
This is what I’ll do about Roethlisberger and his contract if I’m Rooney. I would call Roethlisberger into my office and say, ‘Ben, we’re not going to cut you. But we do not hold any free agents. We fire Mike. And we replace him with Todd Haley as head coach.
Well … what does retirement sound like? Is this something you might be interested in? ‘
Puppy, can not get a “U mad, bro” entry without someone blaming it in the media. This guy does not like my column Wednesday.
Now on to #BreakfastMetBenz– “Browns are the browns?”
Nope. Sorry, JuJu.
Try “Steelers are the Steelers.” This is closer to the truth these days. Https://t.co/YGoV2dEHLw @TribLIVE @TribSports
– Tim Benz (@TimBenzPGH) 13 January 2021
He thinks I chose the wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster.
Let me get it right. So you take @TeamJuJu‘s words completely out of context (and from a complete quote), giving it in with a meaning it did not have, and then roasting him for it?
Alright.
– Kliuch🇺🇦 (@kliuch) 13 January 2021
I did not make your first two accusations at all. I took Smith-Schuster’s comments very much in context. And I did not throw anything at them.
The third thing? I did. I ‘fried’ him. But not in this column. I did it more in this section. And I do not regret it.
The message on Wednesday was much more about the team collectively and not so much about the quote from JuJu. Read it before you get lip-smacking and fire up a tweet. The column is 1% about JuJu and 99% about the whole team.
You have one more thing right. It was cool. I liked that column. I hated having to write it. But it had to be said.
Well, it’s the hockey season now. And the Penguins ‘third period in their 6-3 defeat for the Philadelphia Flyers season was almost as bad as the Steelers’ first quarter on Sunday.
Newly acquired Mike Matheson inspired some skepticism when he came to Pittsburgh. And he kept it up during the opening with some issues in defending the transition and on his own side.
Matheson makes me miss Jack Johnson
– Mike Ference (@ArnCityPounder) 14 January 2021
Annnnnnd, they are gone !!!!! A nice, smooth transition to hockey for ‘U mad, bro? ‘
I wish all “transitions” could be so seamless.
Tim Benz is a writer on the staff of Tribune-Review. You can contact Tim at [email protected] or via Twitter. All tweets can be re-posted. Unless otherwise stated, all emails are subject to publication.
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Penguins / NHL | Sport | Steelers / NFL | Breakfast with Benz