I really like this guy! His guys really have taken on his personality. He reminds you of Cowher, yet he is different. He is emotional. He is a players coach. I think the Rooneys knew what they were doing. Even the post game press conference, no nonsense, straight to the point, shows love to the city, the fans, the Rooneys, and to his players.
The best thing he did, was keep Lebaeu! Smart Move!
**** Formerly Clevestinks!****i como enormes senos
Ditto...everytime he talks I like him more & more and the players seem to respect him as well
He is definitely a stand-up guy. Pittsburgh is very fortunate to have him.
Great coach and even a better man. This won't be his last super bowl.
"When you judge another, you do not define them, you define yourself."
-Wayne Dyer
Tomlin doesn't want to hear talk of 'repeat'
Monday, February 02, 2009
By Chuck Finder, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
TAMPA, Fla. -- The morning after, Mike Tomlin talked about a historic call from the president, his feelings about becoming the second African-American coach to win a Super Bowl, a safety he was prepared to accept and the R-word he doesn't want recited about his Super Bowl champion Steelers.
"The thing I'm going to sell to our football team, we're not attempting to repeat," the second-year Steelers coach said at a news conference today, barely 10 hours after the Steelers' come-from-behind, 27-23 victory in Super Bowl XLIII last night at Raymond James Stadium. "That special group of men in that locker room last night at the end of that game, that's gone forever. There will be 53 new men in there. A lot of the faces will be the same, but nothing stays the same in this game. Those that remain, the roles will change. Some will ascend, some will descend.
"Our focus will be about being the one at the end of the season. I think repeating and defending Super Bowl championships in today's NFL is something of a misnomer. When I walk down the hallway [at the Steelers' offices] and look at the champions of the Steelers from the '70s, it's the same faces in the same positions on those photos, in terms of the Steel Curtain and so forth. That's not the reality of today's NFL, to be quite honest with you. We'll start with a new group of men --- hopefully a lot of them will be the same.
"You won't hear me say 'repeat' or 'defending,' because it's brand new. This group will always be special to me. But, you know, sometime soon, that group will assume its place with others in history. And they'll be just that, history."
Tomlin grew emotional when the subject was broached about the first African-American president's congratulatory telephone call to a professional sports champion --- and, in particular, to the second African-American coach to win a Super Bowl, after his mentor and former boss Tony Dungy of Indianapolis two years ago.
"Just very surreal, a very humbling experience to be a part of that," he said. "It's what you dream about. It's amazing not only as a coach, but just as a citizen.
"I heard very little, very little of what he said. I let him know that. I said, 'Mr. President, I can't hear what you're saying, I appreciate your call, I appreciate your congratulations,' and I handed the phone back to Mr. [Dan] Rooney."
And, strategically speaking, Tomlin said he decided to have punter Mitch Berger on fourth down run out of the end zone and take a safety before Arizona on third down recorded one to whittle the Steelers' fourth-quarter lead to 20-16. Center Justin Hartwig was called for a holding penalty in the end zone, negating a first down completion from Ben Roethlisberger to Santonio Holmes and, under rules, giving the Cardinals 2 points.
"I had already made the decision to take the safety," Tomlin said. "Their punt-rush team is spectacular, led by [ex-Steeler] Sean Morey, their Pro Bowl special teamer. So I really wasn't all that devastated by that safety. It was a little disappointing because we had converted the first down. But my mentality was, had that pass come up incomplete, that we were going to take the safety on fourth down, anyway."
More details in tomorrow's Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
First published on February 2, 2009 at 10:20 am
**** Formerly Clevestinks!****i como enormes senos
My brother said the same about the safety.
I'm A "Champion"
If anyone who hears this man speak or reads what this man has said and is not inpired they have to be brain dead. When we heard last year that he was hired we were all surprised. Now hearing him speak, seeing him in person and watching how his players respond to him is it any doubt why Mr. Rooney hired him? My only question is why didn't someone have teh common sense to hire him first!
The best part of the post game was listening to Tomlin praise his players from the podium... Tomlin is a class act and this team will do anything he asks now. I also feel Tomlin is grounded enough to put this Super Bowl win behind them at the start of next season and go for a repeat.
Did anyone see the interview with him and Lynch? An awesome piece and Lynch still had a 67 step improvement program that T, as a new coach, gave the probowler. His detail is amazing and I am so pumped to think how great the next few years and beyond can really be.
I love this man!! He's the perfect fit for the Pittsburgh Steelers and the city..I love that he appreciates the fans as well. I loved the interview, could you see the love and admiration in Lynch's eyes for Tomlin? It was pretty emotional, I was getting choked up watching it. I loved when Lynch pulled out that list of step improvements...he kept it all these years, you could tell Tomlin was taken back...great interview with 2 great men!!!Originally Posted by ejsteeler
Thanks Steelers086 for my awesome signature!!!
Thanks for the new avatar SteelerBee!
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