I would love to be able to tell you that Mike Tomlin has put the “thing that should not be” to rest. With a hat tip to Metallica, we know that won’t be the case. Mike Tomlin’s record of ‘non-losing seasons’ is a monster that follows him. It’s become a curse he cannot shake when it fact, it just shouldn’t be anything like this. With national outlets rolling in and out of Latrobe, NFL Network’s Kyle Brandt jumped right to it with Tomlin.
Frankly, Tomlin just hit a bomb out of PNC Park. He said exactly what we’ve been saying for the last several years. He. Doesn’t. Care. “These guys were in car seats when it started,” Tomlin said, making a point that they don’t care either. He’s about the ‘now’ just like they are.
Tomlin’s best line was at the beginning when he noted that the non-losing streak is “something you guys (media) use as an intro.” He’s exactly right. Most Steelers’ fans cannot stand watching games for the simple fact that they know it’s coming. Like a leviathan racing to the surface of the water, every fan of the Black and Gold laments the “he’s never had a losing season” comment that comes every, single week.
Why do we hate it so much? Because the streak of ‘non-losing seasons’ also runs parallel to a streak of not winning postseason games closing in on a decade. THAT… is why we hate it. And no one knows it more than Mike Tomlin. On it’s own, the streak is impressive. To go nearly two decades without a losing record in any sport – especially one with limited opportunities – is just crazy. But we have never judged our teams on such a thing. It’s about Super Bowls.
I’ve been as critical of Tomlin as anyone in recent years and I won’t make any apologies for that. His streak is something to marvel but it’s not what any of us want to continue to discuss or hear about. The heat should be on Mike Tomlin, but it’s not… Sad But True.
Image courtesy TribLive.com
