3 Things You Love and 3 Things You Hate - Mike Tomlin Edition

[flippy]

I think we should find some common ground that we all share that unites us.

So many threads lead to such dramatic disagreements. But in between those words I see the common bond that unites us as Steelers fans.

We love our team and we know our warts better than anyone else. Deep down, we’re all a bunch of homers and haters warped into this jumbled mess that is a Steelers fanatic.

How we got here, I have no idea. Personally, I’m drawn to the nostalgia of my childhood. I also recognize that the Lombardis unite us and we wouldn’t have the rabid fan base we have today without the trophies in the case.

However we got here, we’re here. We’re passionate. We’re crazy. And we’re all more alike than different.

So I thought it would be a fun exercise for everyone to list 3 things they love and 3 things they hate about a particular Steelers topic.

Let’s start with Coach T. 3 things you love and 3 things you hate.

I think we’re going to find balance in the universe in this thread. Or that Flippy is an idiot. Both are equally correct outcomes.

[Bittspurgh]

Great idea and topic Flippy!!!!

LOVE
1) Standard.... not the popular catch phrase that some like to say in jest. But the action.... He appears to be the same win or lose, pre game, post game....
2) Representation.... He is a great ambassador for the organization and its lineage....
3) Leadership .... you get the sense that he is well respected at home and away. Meaning his peers, both current and former head coaches have nothing but praise, and admiration for him.

Qualms (wouldn't say hate)
1) Standard.... the same thing I love him for, pisses me off at times because it seems that the standard is more important than needed adjustments, either in game, coaching staff, or personnel.
2) "Its more about what we do, than what the nameless grey faces do" If in fact that is a true statement it may explain the lulls we go through. Bellicheck is considered great if not the best and for me that because of his game plan of taking away what a team does best and game planning for their weakness. Example, the game in Buffalo earlier this year in the bad conditions, and his QB only threw 3 passes.. Everyone watching seen what was happening and Buffalo could not stop it. I don't think Tomlin would use this mindset regardless of weather or opposition.
3) Lack strong assistants. It has been said that you are in the wrong room if you are the smartest man in the room. You have to build a staff with strong assistants that their goal is to be a head coach... not yes men. I am not sure if his assistants are yes men or not, but he certainly does not and has not fielded a strong coaching tree... when Dick L and Bruce A where his coordinators that was his strongest tree.... so many of our assistants seem to be yes men.... just my humble observation. Like you I am not in the confines of their facility to see how it is really lead, but to me the appearance is its ALL Tomlins way without the input of others.

[The Man of Steel]

Is sh*tting the bed come playoff time an acceptable answer for one of the 3 hates?

[Northern_Blitz]

Like:
1. Lots of wins. The most important factor in a job that's ultimately all about results. Has beaten my expectations in some not great situations (e.g. this season & the Mason / Duck year).

2. Good motivator / manager of egos.

3. Seems to be a good person / cares about players, gets them to buy in.

Dislike:
1. Doesn't use load management for positions like RB.

2. Seems to be taking more and more control of the D. I think collaboration between good / great coordinators / HCs has served us better in the past.

3. Doesn't trust analytics. I think that this includes a bunch of things like clock management / red flags. I think we should have a guy who's job it is to run these number in real time and feed info to the coach (I don't think we have that currently). The coach should still make the decision, but should have the data in front of him to check his "gut".

[flippy]

Is sh*tting the bed come playoff time an acceptable answer for one of the 3 hates?

Where does that phrase originate?

Does it mean a person died and they released their bowels in the bed?

Ive heard the phrase a million times. Just curious where it comes from.

[Buzz]

Like:
Good motivator (players love to play for him)
Good speaker
Quality person/good face for the franchise

Dislike:
Game management (decisions/adjustments/challenges/clock)
Doesn't hire good assistants
Inconsistent game planning

[SteelerOfDeVille]

Like:
Good motivator (players love to play for him)
Good speaker
Quality person/good face for the franchise

Dislike:
Game management (decisions/adjustments/challenges/clock)
Doesn't hire good assistants
Inconsistent game planning

i'm particularly on board with Assistants, as I feel assistants have bigger impact on games than we give credit for.

THEY drive their own respective units. Just like you'd expect the special teams coach to know more about kicking a FG than Mike, you should expect the same from most positions from the o-line coach to the LB coach..

[T.Ferguson]

Things I don't like
1 - Not an X's and O's guy, seems to believe in player execution regardless of opponent or player skill set.
2 - Hasn't grown or improved as HC since the day he was hired, makes the same mistakes. Just this season he offered up a bizarre explanation for a misuse of a timeout/time clock management after a game.
3 - Player personnel usage/development issues.

Things I like or find funny
1- Tomlinisms.
2 - He did get to .500 with MR/Duck at QB so that has to count for something.
3 - He tried to trip an opposing player on national television and somehow wasn't fired.

[feltdizz]

Positives
winning
players buy in
consistency

negatives
OC hires have been meh
recent playoff losses
too lax with vets

[Captain Lemming]

Likes
1. (From NB) Lots of wins. The most important factor in a job that's ultimately all about results. Has beaten my expectations in some not great situations (e.g. this season & the Mason / Duck year).

2. Leadership, Orator, Motivator

3. Represents team well

Dislike

1. Has not had team well prepared in recent playoff failures, particularly on defense which is his side of the ball.

2. His "gut". Will go with courageous over smart too frequently.

3. Values familiarity over track record in assistants. I don't take issue on the defensive side as I expect him to factor himself more heavily. Haley was his only good hire on offense and that was the exception to the rule.

[Chucktownsteeler]

Mine have all been stated. I won't regurgitate them, but I do like his relationships with players. I truly believe he cares for them as humans, not just nameless gray faces.

[Chucktownsteeler]

Where does that phrase originate?

Does it mean a person died and they released their bowels in the bed?

Ive heard the phrase a million times. Just curious where it comes from.

Nasty, just nasty.

[WindyCitySteel]

Like:
Good motivator (players love to play for him)
Good speaker
Quality person/good face for the franchise

Dislike:
Game management (decisions/adjustments/challenges/clock)
Doesn't hire good assistants
Inconsistent game planning

Co-signed but I'll expound on the last Dislike. "Beat your man" and "next man up" against "nameless grey faces" because "we do what we do" is not a way to game plan, especially when you don't have the better players.

I don't remember them scheming to exploit an opponent's weaknesses in a very long time, and the Steelers' own weaknesses appear to get mercilessly picked on by smart opponents.

For that reason I don't see us every competing for a Super Bowl under Tomlin again unless we a) have a star-studded roster, and b) have experienced, smart coordinators

We don't have either right now.

[feltdizz]

Co-signed but I'll expound on the last Dislike. "Beat your man" and "next man up" against "nameless grey faces" because "we do what we do" is not a way to game plan, especially when you don't have the better players.

I don't remember them scheming to exploit an opponent's weaknesses in a very long time, and the Steelers' own weaknesses appear to get mercilessly picked on by smart opponents.

For that reason I don't see us every competing for a Super Bowl under Tomlin again unless we a) have a star-studded roster, and b) have experienced, smart coordinators

We don't have either right now.

I think most years you will need a star studded team to compete for a SB.