Tomlin: Rooney didn’t make me change offensive coordinators

Posted by Michael David Smith

Eyebrows were raised around the NFL this offseason when the Steelers fired offensive coordinator Bruce Arians (a firing they falsely claimed was a retirement) and hired Todd Haley to replace him. Answering questions about that move for the first time on Tuesday morning, Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin said that was his decision and did not come from above.

“I thought that it was time for change,” Tomlin said, via Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

Asked whether Steelers owner Art Rooney II pushed him to fire Arians, Tomlin said, “He did not . . . I hired Todd Haley as well, which is your next question. Art Rooney owns the football team. he can do what he wants to do, but those directives did not happen.”

READ MORE: http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/03/27/mike-tomlin-rooney-didnt-make-me-change-offensive-coordinators/
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Should I start a poll? Who believes what Tomlin is saying?

Wallace108 wrote:

Posted by Michael David Smith

Eyebrows were raised around the NFL this offseason when the Steelers fired offensive coordinator Bruce Arians (a firing they falsely claimed was a retirement) and hired Todd Haley to replace him. Answering questions about that move for the first time on Tuesday morning, Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin said that was his decision and did not come from above.

“I thought that it was time for change,” Tomlin said, via Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

Asked whether Steelers owner Art Rooney II pushed him to fire Arians, Tomlin said, “He did not . . . I hired Todd Haley as well, which is your next question. Art Rooney owns the football team. he can do what he wants to do, but those directives did not happen.”

READ MORE: http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/03/27/mike-tomlin-rooney-didnt-make-me-change-offensive-coordinators/
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Should I start a poll? Who believes what Tomlin is saying?

I'll believe him for now. I'm sure he had conversations with Rooney shortly after making his statement about all coaches returning. Or maybe he did some film review shortly after the loss to the Broncos and he realized, "With all our offensive weapons, we couldn't beat the Broncos!?"

I want to believe that Tomlin finally saw the light and made the decision on Arians. But he came off looking weak during everything that happened, and my gut tells me this is an effort by him and Rooney to restore some of his credibility. It should be noted though that my gut is about as accurate as throwing darts at a dartboard.

Wallace108 wrote:

I want to believe that Tomlin finally saw the light and made the decision on Arians. But he came off looking weak during everything that happened, and my gut tells me this is an effort by him and Rooney to restore some of his credibility. It should be noted though that my gut is about as accurate as throwing darts at a dartboard.

Is this 'drunk' darts or 'sober' darts?

I'm just trying to get an accurate measurement

i agree with truck. i believe with a lot of soul searching and probably some input from rooney he knew the right move to make.

vasteeler wrote:

i agree with truck. i believe with a lot of soul searching and probably some input from rooney he knew the right move to make.

If by "input from Rooney" you mean he was told "You WILL get rid of him" ... then yeah, I agree.

stlrtruck wrote:

Wallace108 wrote:

Posted by Michael David Smith

Eyebrows were raised around the NFL this offseason when the Steelers fired offensive coordinator Bruce Arians (a firing they falsely claimed was a retirement) and hired Todd Haley to replace him. Answering questions about that move for the first time on Tuesday morning, Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin said that was his decision and did not come from above.

“I thought that it was time for change,” Tomlin said, via Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

Asked whether Steelers owner Art Rooney II pushed him to fire Arians, Tomlin said, “He did not . . . I hired Todd Haley as well, which is your next question. Art Rooney owns the football team. he can do what he wants to do, but those directives did not happen.”

READ MORE: http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/03/27/mike-tomlin-rooney-didnt-make-me-change-offensive-coordinators/
-------------------------------------------------------------


Should I start a poll? Who believes what Tomlin is saying?

I'll believe him for now. I'm sure he had conversations with Rooney shortly after making his statement about all coaches returning. Or maybe he did some film review shortly after the loss to the Broncos and he realized, "With all our offensive weapons, we couldn't beat the Broncos!?"

That, or he finally sobered up from his 5-year bender.

Questions remain for Tomlin in Arians firing
March, 27, 2012
By Jamison Hensley

Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin insisted Tuesday he made the call to replace offensive coordinator Bruce Arians with Todd Haley and wasn't told to do so by team president Art Rooney II.

"I don't know where some of these perceptions come from," Tomlin told reporters at the NFL owners meetings in Palm Beach, Fla.

Where did these perceptions come from? Maybe we should ask where to begin.

There are so many questions that remain unanswered by Tomlin, who spoke to reporters for the first time since Jan. 9. Why did he say that he anticipated Arians would return only to ask him to leave 11 days later? Why did Tomlin announce Arians was retiring? If Tomlin was the one who made the call to fire Arians, why was Rooney the one who actually made the phone call?

Tomlin, though, was asked if Rooney had any influence in Arians leaving.

"He didn't," Tomlin said. "I don't know where some of these perceptions come from. I don't break my neck to try to combat them in any way. I don't know where they come from."

Tomlin added, "And I hired Todd Haley as well, which is your next question, which is another funny one to me. And don't get me wrong, of course, Art Rooney owns the football team, he can do what he wants to do, but those directives did not happen."

(Read More:) http://espn.go.com/blog/afcnorth/post/_/id/44810/questions-remain-for-tomlin-in-arians-firing

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Hensley's a Ravens-loving hack, but he does pose some interesting questions.

Personally, I could give a rat's ass about it anymore because what's done is done and I think it's for the better regardless of who called the shot. Let's get focused on the upcoming season and getting this offense firing on all cylinders. Winning will make us all forget this shit quickly.

Let's see, it's been a slow off season for the Steelers so people want to build a dam instead of letting this water go under the bridge.

The three-way conversation went something like this:

Tomlin: Bruce, you have two options - retire or get fired.
Arians: Are you kidding me?
Tomlin: No Bruce, I'm not. The defense has covered your lame offense for way too long.
Arians: But we won a Super Bowl!
Dan: Listen Bruce, make a decision or I'll make it for you.
Arians: Ok Mr. Rooney, I'll retire
Dan: Good, we'll make the announcement tomorrow.
Tomlin: Good luck Bruce, enjoy fishing in The Keys!
(phone disconnects)
Tomlin: Thanks Dan, I appreciate your support, but I really wanted to get rid of him last year.
Dan: I know, but it was difficult seeing as how we were in the Super Bowl
Tomlin: Well, at least LeBeau won't have to bail out or offense every game this year.
Dan: Yeah, speaking of which, why don't you hire Todd Haley to run our offense.
Tomlin: Not a bad idea. I'll all him tomorrow morning

I think it went more like this:

Tomlin: I just got off the phone with Bruce. I told him I look forward to seeing what wrinkles he can add to the bubble screen next season.

Rooney: There won't be a next season for him. It's time for a change on offense. Give him the options of retiring or being fired.

Tomlin: Wait, what? I just told everyone that all the coordinators would be coming back.

Rooney: You should have checked with me first. Last time I checked, this was still my team.

Tomlin: Yes, Mr. Rooney. But can we hire my friend Jim Caldwell to replace him?

Rooney: No, I want Todd Haley. He's a Pittsburgh boy and his father used to work for us.

Tomlin: Did I say Caldwell? I meant Haley.

Rooney: Haley's a fine choice. You made a good decision, Mike.

I prefer to think it went more like this...

Buddha Bus wrote:

I prefer to think it went more like this...

There's probably some truth to that as well.

I might have jokingly gotten it right.

Quote :

Rooney wanted Arians out two years ago, but Ben Roethlisberger reportedly saved his job by pleading for it with Tomlin.

So, maybe after listening to Rooney, Tomlin was faced with two choices: Keep Arians against Rooney's wishes for the second time in three years, or dump him and move on. Chuck Noll was faced with just such a decision 23 years ago. We can assume that Tomlin reluctantly signed off on Rooney's wishes and told Arians the Steelers would not offer him a contract.

Thus, it was Tomlin's ultimate "decision" but maybe not his preference.

http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/sports/steelers/on-the-steelers-the-games-never-stop-629390/

I don't care for the WHY or the HOW, I'm just thankful we have a 'NEW' opportunity to have an explosive offense.

As with Arians, Haley has 3 years (imo) to either prove or disprove his worthiness to wear the black and gold.

So let's move on from this, the horse is dead - stop beating it!

stlrtruck wrote:

I don't care for the WHY or the HOW, I'm just thankful we have a 'NEW' opportunity to have an explosive offense.

As with Arians, Haley has 3 years (imo) to either prove or disprove his worthiness to wear the black and gold.

So let's move on from this, the horse is dead - stop beating it!

I just had a flashback to another time and another place.

Wallace108 wrote:

stlrtruck wrote:

I don't care for the WHY or the HOW, I'm just thankful we have a 'NEW' opportunity to have an explosive offense.

As with Arians, Haley has 3 years (imo) to either prove or disprove his worthiness to wear the black and gold.

So let's move on from this, the horse is dead - stop beating it!

I just had a flashback to another time and another place.

Sorry didn't mean to leave you out in the open universe all alone.

My point being that the media wants to continue to run with this story when there isn't much of a story. Does anyone, and when I say anyone I mean any Steelers fan, really care the semantics of it? I more concerned with why the FO didn't find it fitting to bring Hines Ward back for one more year?

stlrtruck wrote:

Wallace108 wrote:

stlrtruck wrote:

I don't care for the WHY or the HOW, I'm just thankful we have a 'NEW' opportunity to have an explosive offense.

As with Arians, Haley has 3 years (imo) to either prove or disprove his worthiness to wear the black and gold.

So let's move on from this, the horse is dead - stop beating it!

I just had a flashback to another time and another place.

Sorry didn't mean to leave you out in the open universe all alone.

My point being that the media wants to continue to run with this story when there isn't much of a story. Does anyone, and when I say anyone I mean any Steelers fan, really care the semantics of it? I more concerned with why the FO didn't find it fitting to bring Hines Ward back for one more year?

Nice, you picked up on my little jab.

I have to disagree that there wasn't a story. First Tomlin said that both coordinators were returning. Then they announced that Arians was retiring. And then it came out that no he wasn't ... they just weren't renewing his contract. And then there were reports of power struggles within the organization. I'd say all that equals a story, and I don't think we've gotten to the truth of it yet. And maybe we never will. But yeah, I'm curious about what really happened.

As far as moving on from a story, I've always felt that was an individual choice. I've always hated when I've seen people on message boards try to dictate what others can or can't talk about. You see it all the time. My philosophy is simple ... I've never seen any board with a rule that says every member has to read every thread and comment on every thread. So if someone doesn't think something is a story, or if they're tired of it, then don't read it. It's as simple as that. If some people are commenting on something, then obviously they're not tired of talking about it.

Wallace108 wrote:

stlrtruck wrote:

Wallace108 wrote:

stlrtruck wrote:

I don't care for the WHY or the HOW, I'm just thankful we have a 'NEW' opportunity to have an explosive offense.

As with Arians, Haley has 3 years (imo) to either prove or disprove his worthiness to wear the black and gold.

So let's move on from this, the horse is dead - stop beating it!

I just had a flashback to another time and another place.

Sorry didn't mean to leave you out in the open universe all alone.

My point being that the media wants to continue to run with this story when there isn't much of a story. Does anyone, and when I say anyone I mean any Steelers fan, really care the semantics of it? I more concerned with why the FO didn't find it fitting to bring Hines Ward back for one more year?

Nice, you picked up on my little jab.

I have to disagree that there wasn't a story. First Tomlin said that both coordinators were returning. Then they announced that Arians was retiring. And then it came out that no he wasn't ... they just weren't renewing his contract. And then there were reports of power struggles within the organization. I'd say all that equals a story, and I don't think we've gotten to the truth of it yet. And maybe we never will. But yeah, I'm curious about what really happened.

As far as moving on from a story, I've always felt that was an individual choice. I've always hated when I've seen people on message boards try to dictate what others can or can't talk about. You see it all the time. My philosophy is simple ... I've never seen any board with a rule that says every member has to read every thread and comment on every thread. So if someone doesn't think something is a story, or if they're tired of it, then don't read it. It's as simple as that. If some people are commenting on something, then obviously they're not tired of talking about it.

But how many times have we heard, more so from other teams that other coaches were coming back, then blam-o, all of a sudden they don't fit into the program.

As for your last point, I get what you're saying, but I also believe that the media carries a story too long in the headlines, making it impossible to avoid it. I wasn't referring so much to readers as I was the media when I said move on. Personally, I believe the media could report on a lot more different stories but they try to capture their 15 minutes of fame on one story.

stlrtruck wrote:

As for your last point, I get what you're saying, but I also believe that the media carries a story too long in the headlines, making it impossible to avoid it. I wasn't referring so much to readers as I was the media when I said move on. Personally, I believe the media could report on a lot more different stories but they try to capture their 15 minutes of fame on one story.

Most (not all) people really don't want what they say they want when it comes to news. I know I've used this example before, but it's absolutely true. Let's say you have two stories. In the one, a fireman climbs a tree and rescues a kitten. In the second, a fireman climbs a tree and rescues a kitten, then cuts its head off in front of a group of children. Although most people say they like reading about good news, which of those two stories do you think people are going to be talking about the next day? So while people say they want one thing, they're going to be reading something else.

I agree that sometimes the media beats a story into the ground. But there are a lot of factors that go into how much coverage a story gets. During the offseason, a story like this is going to get a lot more coverage than it would during the regular season because there's fewer things to report on right now.

I understand that a lot of people hate the media, and sometimes that hate is justified. There's some bad reporting out there. But sometimes the hate isn't justified. True story ... on another board, I saw a poster say how much he hates the media, and that reporters always make stuff up. Then two days later, he was having a debate and posted a news story to help support his argument. But wait, I though the media just made stuff up. Basically, if a reporter writes something that someone likes and agrees with, he or she will use it to justify what they believe. But if a reporter writes something that someone doesn't like or agree with, then the reporter is an idiot.

Wallace108 wrote:

stlrtruck wrote:

As for your last point, I get what you're saying, but I also believe that the media carries a story too long in the headlines, making it impossible to avoid it. I wasn't referring so much to readers as I was the media when I said move on. Personally, I believe the media could report on a lot more different stories but they try to capture their 15 minutes of fame on one story.

Most (not all) people really don't want what they say they want when it comes to news. I know I've used this example before, but it's absolutely true. Let's say you have two stories. In the one, a fireman climbs a tree and rescues a kitten. In the second, a fireman climbs a tree and rescues a kitten, then cuts its head off in front of a group of children. Although most people say they like reading about good news, which of those two stories do you think people are going to be talking about the next day? So while people say they want one thing, they're going to be reading something else.

I agree that sometimes the media beats a story into the ground. But there are a lot of factors that go into how much coverage a story gets. During the offseason, a story like this is going to get a lot more coverage than it would during the regular season because there's fewer things to report on right now.

I understand that a lot of people hate the media, and sometimes that hate is justified. There's some bad reporting out there. But sometimes the hate isn't justified. True story ... on another board, I saw a poster say how much he hates the media, and that reporters always make stuff up. Then two days later, he was having a debate and posted a news story to help support his argument. But wait, I though the media just made stuff up. Basically, if a reporter writes something that someone likes and agrees with, he or she will use it to justify what they believe. But if a reporter writes something that someone doesn't like or agree with, then the reporter is an idiot.

I agree that the media uses stories to sell papers! It's how the business works, but I think somewhere along the way they've lost the ability to report stories across the board (good and bad).

Let's face it, we all use media outlets to get our information, but what I want (and what is very difficult to find) is just the facts with no opinion. Case in point, the Trayvon Martin case. Certain outlets, as well as high powered individuals, have made their opinions known and the full facts have not been disclosed.

Anyway, i think we've gotten off point (my natural ability to derail a thread is showing). Back to the story. I don't care why Tomlin's opinion of Arians changed. Probably because I wanted him fired last year. Maybe if I wanted Arians on board, I'd care.