Regardless of what happens on Sunday in Baltimore, Mike Tomlin will have completed 15 straight non-losing seasons to begin his career. That’s an NFL record and he was assured of it when the Pittsburgh Steelers won their eighth game last night against Cleveland. I know what many of you are thinking and I’m right there with you.
You’re tired of hearing about this record. You’re tired of hearing “but he hasn’t had a losing season.” What you’re more interested in is “when is he going to win another playoff game?” As I said, I’m right with you. But you know who else is with you? Do you know who else is tired of hearing about this streak? Mike Tomlin that’s who.
For some reason, there are fans who seem to think that Tomlin walks around with a business card that says “no losing seasons” on it. He willingly hands it to everyone he sees. I don’t know where this comes from but I have some ideas… The fact is, Tomlin never talks about it. The media talks about it and the fans talk about it. But you don’t ever hear him bringing it up. Why would he? Nowhere in that record does it suggest that he won more playoff games or got to more Super Bowls than he has. It is, quite frankly, what it is but it isn’t on him.
Tomlin knows that in Pittsburgh, winning records are nice and winning games is important but he knows as well as all of us do that success in the Steel City is measured in Super Bowls. Do any of you honestly believe that Tomlin spends even a second beating his chest over this record? I can guarantee that isn’t the case. It’s like being the head coach at Alabama and telling the fan base the goal isn’t national titles but “just to have winning seasons.”
My list of issues with Mike Tomlin has grown in recent years. I’ve long been a supporter of his but there are many things that need to change and my patience is running thin. What really needs to change however is the perception of him in regards to this record. It’s a terrific accomplishment and that’s where it stops. We can criticize his game management, the way he builds his staff or the personnel he chooses to use, but we all need to stop with this “record” nonsense.
Mike Tomlin doesn’t care about it and neither should we.
