Mike Tomlin

[Shawn]

If Harbaugh did that on a Brown return, would you want Harbaugh to be fined?

I'd like for him to be fined anyway, but ...

Absolutely. I have a really hard time believing it was by accident. It caused the WR to weave. It may or may not have effected the play. He should be, and will likely be fined.

[feltdizz]

I can't remember the team we were playing, maybe it was the Browns, but someone returned a punt against us when Cowher was coaching. Remember he wanted to run out and tackle the guy? But, he kept his distance on the sideline, like a coach should. He didn't interfere.

Jags FG block returned for a TD. He didnt interfere but he damn sure wanted to... lol.

[7 UP]

Did you notice how he jumped aside in a startled manner. It wasn't a planned move; it was inadvertent.

What I noticed was Tomlin looking over his shoulder and waiting for the exact right moment to get out of the way. If Tomlin wasnt there I beleive Jacoby Jones scores.

[bostonsteeler]

What I noticed was Tomlin looking over his shoulder and waiting for the exact right moment to get out of the way. If Tomlin wasnt there I beleive Jacoby Jones scores.

I've watched this a couple of times, and I can't make up my mind ... all the points that you guys state make sense, but to me it also seems like a distracted coach realizing at the last second that he is in the way and reacting (and if the reaction is spontaneous, even the sequence of actions in his jump is explained).

But if he *did* do that intentionally, mad props! He saved us points at the cost of a few dollars to himself. More props if he'd gotten away with it

[steelz09]

I've watched this a couple of times, and I can't make up my mind ... all the points that you guys state make sense, but to me it also seems like a distracted coach realizing at the last second that he is in the way and reacting (and if the reaction is spontaneous, even the sequence of actions in his jump is explained).

But if he *did* do that intentionally, mad props! He saved us points at the cost of a few dollars to himself. More props if he'd gotten away with it

Do you still give props if we lose a draft pick because of this?

[winwithd]

What I noticed was Tomlin looking over his shoulder and waiting for the exact right moment to get out of the way. If Tomlin wasnt there I beleive Jacoby Jones scores.

I think Cortez was getting him anyway. Jones swerving only made it harder for Cortez. Jones was just embarassed at getting run down from behind that he gave that BS answer. Tomlin did not step in to try to trip Jones. His 'jab' step was only help him get out a better push off to get out of the way. His eyes looking like he was looking over his shoulder is the only strange part to me.

I think it was a Jets coach who once actually tackled or tripped a runner and that team did not lose a draft pick.

I think all the talk about a draft pick is hype to create publicity, interest, and ultimately money.

[bostonsteeler]

Do you still give props if we lose a draft pick because of this?

If the idiots decide to penalize us a draft pick for this, yes. There is absolutely no non-controversial evidence against Tomlin here. This would be yet another incident of the league behaving erratically.

There has been much worse behavior on the field where no draft picks were lost. The *ers lost a first-round pick for spygate -- years of cheating. If they equate a step on the field that did not affect the outcome of the game to spygate, they're nuts.

[buckeyehoppy]

Where the hell is the bul$hit official to blame in all of this? Anywhere? He's been blowing calls or not issuing them all year, according to the report posted here in this thread.

Okay, so Tomlin was stupid enough to be on the field during a play. He should be fined by the league and it should be doubled by the Rooneys because he's a jagoff!

But loss of a draft pick? Really? If that's the case, D!ckhead Goodell better never have any travel arrangements to Pittsburgh while he's the Pope of the NFL dump!

[steeler_fan_in_t.o.]

Whether or not he planned to do it, did it spur of the moment, or was completely oblivious, he still must take responsibility for his actions. He broke a rule by being somewhere that he was not supposed to be during gameplay. We would be justifiably upset had it happened to the Steelers, regardless of intention.

There should definitely be a fine. The league fines players for random borderline 15 yarders these days, why would a coach not be held to the same standard. Fine the action, not just the intention. I also would not be surprised to see him get a one-game suspension. Unlikely, but not out of the question. However, the draft pick thing has to be a joke. Unfounded speculation by somebody trying to pass it off as a legitimate option.

[Eich]

A fine is ALL he deserves. Anything else would be completely absurd (draft pick, suspension). This is all overblown. Can you imagine the grief if we had won the game? Everyone would have blamed Tomlin for the Ravens losing.

[buckeyehoppy]

If the Steelers really do get a draft pick ripped from them, then I have one question for D!ckhead Roger: Where's your proof? Where's your proof that the Steelers, not just Mike Tomlin, conspired to physically change the outcome of the play?

Truth is, the league can't back up their bull$hit threat of draft pick forfeiture without having to ask a few questions of themselves. Questions like: Why didn't our Weekend Warrior, er, Side Judge not throw a flag against Tomlin on the play? They were well within the scope of the rules to do so. How come it didn't happen?

If the league wants to present itself as credible, then a witch hunt regarding the Steelers can't be on their agenda. Besides, their poster boy for Head Coaching Purity, Bill Belichick, even came to Tomlin's defense. And it's not as if you don't see this happening in less obvious circumstances anyway (read: it happens all the time).

Any threat of draft pick forfeiture should be met by the immediate threat of legal action toward the NFL by the Steelers. The appropriate punishment in this case is a fine and a suspension of Mike Tomlin by both the league and the Steelers.

[feltdizz]

I do not understand the outrage over it, I really don't. And to consider a draft pick? That would be outrageous. For the record, I think he knew what he was doing. But some people are acting like it was some despicable act...

If it was intentional then I understand the outrage.... if Harbaugh did it to us I would be furious but not draft pick loss furious.