How Well Liked Was Whiz?

[flippy]

The more players I hear mention Whiz are reminding me how much these Steelers players loved the guy.

And how much many of them probably wish he was their coach.

Wonder if that still has a lingering effect on some of the players?

Except Ben of course.....

who seems to hate Whiz.....



Whiz did a great job for us in the 05 SuperBowl run. All the exotic formations that he pulled out during the playoff run that we hadn't seen before were brilliant.

Now he's got a perennial loser in the SuperBowl.

And once again, he's changed his team in the playoffs and got them doing things no one expected.

How good is this guy really?

Is he the best coach not in Pittsburgh?

The chess match between Whiz and Lebeau could be one for the ages.

I'm really expecting something unexpected out of Arizona.

[flippy]

Re: How Well Liked Was Whiz?

One more thought on Whiz....

Who's got more to prove? Whiz versus his old team? Ben versus his old coach?

And Tomlin might have the most to prove since he probably wants to show the Rooney's they made the right choice.

[Flasteel]

Re: How Well Liked Was Whiz?

Except Ben of course.....

who seems to hate Whiz.....

That's the sense I got too and if true, was more than likely why the Rooneys didn't chase down Whiz for the job.

Either way, we're both in the big game and it should be interesting to say the least.

[Chachi]

Re: How Well Liked Was Whiz?

The more players I hear mention Whiz are reminding me how much these Steelers players loved the guy.

And how much many of them probably wish he was their coach.

Wonder if that still has a lingering effect on some of the players?

If they were playing for the SB and we were first round losers......yea, I could see a big effect of some wishing he was their coach.

If they were playing for the SB and we lost ANOTHER AFCC game at home....especially to the Gayvens......yea, I could see a big effect of some wishing he was their coach.

But, we are playing for the Super Bowl. We had to go 12-4 just to squeek out a division title. Wiz went 9-7 in an inferior division with an, IMO, inferior team.

I feel if positions were reversed Tomlin could have done what Wiz did (go 9-7 with that schedule in that division).....I don't know if Wiz does what Tomlin did, 12-4 with the "toughest schedule ever" all the while killing some serious ghosts along the way (Winning in Jax, winning in Foxborough, winning an AFCC game at home, etc.)

I think we needed as much of a change in HC and got that change in Tomlin just as much as Arizona needed in their change (ok, well, maybe not quite as much. ) If we kept Wiz, I don't think we have the change we needed to get where we are today.

The fact we are where we are, IMO, has killed any residual effects of players wishing we had Wiz over Tomlin.

[SanAntonioSteelerFan]

Re: How Well Liked Was Whiz?

The more players I hear mention Whiz are reminding me how much these Steelers players loved the guy.

And how much many of them probably wish he was their coach.

Wonder if that still has a lingering effect on some of the players?

If they were playing for the SB and we were first round losers......yea, I could see a big effect of some wishing he was their coach.

If they were playing for the SB and we lost ANOTHER AFCC game at home....especially to the Gayvens......yea, I could see a big effect of some wishing he was their coach.

But, we are playing for the Super Bowl. We had to go 12-4 just to squeek out a division title. Wiz went 9-7 in an inferior division with an, IMO, inferior team.

I feel if positions were reversed Tomlin could have done what Wiz did (go 9-7 with that schedule in that division).....I don't know if Wiz does what Tomlin did, 12-4 with the "toughest schedule ever" all the while killing some serious ghosts along the way (Winning in Jax, winning in Foxborough, winning an AFCC game at home, etc.)

I think we needed as much of a change in HC and got that change in Tomlin just as much as Arizona needed in their change (ok, well, maybe not quite as much. ) If we kept Wiz, I don't think we have the change we needed to get where we are today.

The fact we are where we are, IMO, has killed any residual effects of players wishing we had Wiz over Tomlin.

Chachi -

[Oviedo]

Re: How Well Liked Was Whiz?

The more players I hear mention Whiz are reminding me how much these Steelers players loved the guy.

And how much many of them probably wish he was their coach.

Wonder if that still has a lingering effect on some of the players?

If they were playing for the SB and we were first round losers......yea, I could see a big effect of some wishing he was their coach.

If they were playing for the SB and we lost ANOTHER AFCC game at home....especially to the Gayvens......yea, I could see a big effect of some wishing he was their coach.

But, we are playing for the Super Bowl. We had to go 12-4 just to squeek out a division title. Wiz went 9-7 in an inferior division with an, IMO, inferior team.

I feel if positions were reversed Tomlin could have done what Wiz did (go 9-7 with that schedule in that division).....I don't know if Wiz does what Tomlin did, 12-4 with the "toughest schedule ever" all the while killing some serious ghosts along the way (Winning in Jax, winning in Foxborough, winning an AFCC game at home, etc.)

I think we needed as much of a change in HC and got that change in Tomlin just as much as Arizona needed in their change (ok, well, maybe not quite as much. ) If we kept Wiz, I don't think we have the change we needed to get where we are today.

The fact we are where we are, IMO, has killed any residual effects of players wishing we had Wiz over Tomlin.

Totally agree. For Tomlin to keep the emotion and flow of the team as focused as he did with the schedule we had is something that is not getting enough credit. Toughest schedule in 50 years and we end up with a 12-4 record. Tomlin was the right choice for this franchise no matter what happens on Feb 1.

[MeetJoeGreene]

Re: How Well Liked Was Whiz?

If any players felt like that, the SHOULD be over it by now or gone (read: Faneca).

I have to admit that I wanted Whiz. (Not Grim). But I have been pleased with Tomlin and fully behind him now.

[proudpittsburgher]

Re: How Well Liked Was Whiz?

Except Ben of course.....

who seems to hate Whiz.....

That's the sense I got too and if true, was more than likely why the Rooneys didn't chase down Whiz for the job.

Either way, we're both in the big game and it should be interesting to say the least.

For whatever reason, i always thought Ben liked Whiz.

Per SI article from Peter King . . . A few days after Tomlin was hired, quarterback Ben Roethlisberger took his new boss to lunch and told him a lot of the players were unhappy that two well-liked assistants had been passed over for a 34-year-old they'd never heard of. The two men spoke frankly. "You're going to have to earn the guys' respect and trust," Roethlisberger said.

But if that's no the case, what you said makes sense then as to why Whiz didn't get the gig.

[papillon]

Re: How Well Liked Was Whiz?

I'm sure many of the current players have great respect for Ken Whisenhunt. He was successful in Pittsburgh as the OC and now he's successful as the HC in Arizona. I'm sure they'll talk prior to the game and may even have dinner while they are in Tampa.

However, it is extremely obvious that the Pittsburgh Steeler football team responds to MIke Tomlin in a positive way and they are buying what he is selling. So, whether they like Whiz or not is irrelevant to the current situation and the SB, IMHO.

Pappy

[snarky]

Re: How Well Liked Was Whiz?

Heck, even in little league personal friendship is cast aside in such situations. So I don't think this will be a problem.

[grotonsteel]

Re: How Well Liked Was Whiz?

Whiz is a good coach but can he handle the players...??? Ben was not happy with him.. Look at the mess with Boldin and Matt....

[ramblinjim]

Re: How Well Liked Was Whiz?

Whiz is a good coach. He's done a tremendous job with a perennial loser of a team. The comparison's are always going to be there, just like with Ben, Eli and Rivers.

Tomlin came into a team two years removed from a Super Bowl and a perennial powerhouse with outrageous expectations, strong people in the locker room to win over and a team that just knew someone would be promoted from within (although the Rooney's did not do that with Cowher, why did we expect they would this time around).

Tomlin's done a great job. He's 24-11 in his two years here and has the team in the Super Bowl. He's exercised some ugly Steelers ghosts along the way. I think the future is bright for him.

[frankthetank1]

Re: How Well Liked Was Whiz?

keep this in mind. if the steelers were as bad as the cards on the road this season no one would be happy with tomlin. the cards finally won on the east coast against the panthers. they were 9-7 in the worst division in the nfl. they were blown out in new england and philly. they are very very lucky to be in the sb. on the other hand the steelers went 11-4 with the toughest schedule i have ever seen. they blew out the pats in new england, they won in baltimore and swept the afc north. if whiz was the coach would all of those things happened? i doubt it. im sure the steelers would be good but i dont think they would be this good

[Steeler Shades]

Re: How Well Liked Was Whiz?

Tomlin came into a team two years removed from a Super Bowl.

Which two years?

[SteelTorch]

Re: How Well Liked Was Whiz?

No, no, no. You guys want to know who truly turned the Cards around? Kurt Warner (and Fitz to a lesser extent). Even then, they managed no better than an 8-8 record during the regular season. Their defense was still bad and they, up until recently, had no real running game.

Whis's success will only last as long as Warner does. You can believe that.