Should I Stay or Should I Go Now?
Many fans have made their stance clear: nothing short of firing Head Coach Mike Tomlin will satisfy them. However, most believe that outcome is highly unlikely—and I agree.
The Steelers' collapse at the end of the season remains a mystery. Who or what is to blame?
The assistant coaches? The players? The front office? The head coach? Or perhaps all of the above?
Despite the frustration, I'm not calling for Tomlin's dismissal, and my reasoning goes beyond football. Recently, we've seen two African American head coaches fired after just one season.
One of those coaches has already been replaced by a non-minority coach. This trend is troubling. The NFL is an offense-driven league, and many minority coaches specialize in defense, which seems to be shrinking their opportunities.
This is an uncomfortable conversation for most, but avoiding it won't solve anything. For instance, if Baltimore loses to Buffalo, who will take the blame? Will it be John Harbaugh, the head coach, or Lamar Jackson, the quarterback? Time will tell. Meanwhile, in places like New England and Las Vegas, terrible rosters have led to blame falling squarely on the coaches-teams whose rosters couldn't even compete in a college football championship.
Speaking of college football, the first African American head coach will be appearing in the national championship game this season. By the way, college football has been around since 1869.
Mike Tomlin has earned the right to fix the Steelers. He's earned the right to finish his contract.
And he's done enough to have earned the respect of the fanbase—at least you'd think. Let's compare and contrast the last three Steelers coaches and the challenges they faced. Yes, we all know that "no losing seasons" means little without a championship, but at the very least, it should earn respect. Steelers fans are incredibly passionate about their team, which can sometimes distort our thinking. I'm spoiled as a fan.
For me, this isn't just about X's and O's. It's about the bigger picture. Minority coaches need Mike Tomlin to succeed. If he doesn't, it could further close the door for minorities seeking top head coaching positions in the NFL. Most of these coaches come from defensive backgrounds, and in an offense-first league, their chances are already slim and the job will not be a top franchise like the Steelers.
Tomlin's success with the Steelers is about representation and opportunity.
Written By Kevin Watson
