Joey Porter, Mike Tomlin: "allegedly selfish football parents at Pittsburgh North Catholic"

… embarrass Steelers -- again 

A column by former KDKA-TV sports anchor John Steigerwald earlier this week made some damning allegations about Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin and assistant coach Joey Porter.

This had nothing to do with their roles as football coaches. It had to do with their roles as parents -- and decent human beings.

Background

Sometimes, I wish that Catholic schools would get back to teaching good religious and moral beliefs and focusing on the classroom, not on the fields and courts.

Failure to do that landed Pittsburgh North Catholic High School in hot water, and they are now receiving negative national publicity because of it.

First, they hired former Steeler Jason Gildon as their football coach. After two years, they fired him, but did not comment on why that occurred.

Steigerwald's column helped illustrate why that may have occurred. The case against Tomlin is not as bad as that of Porter, whose action -- confirmed by police -- has embarrassed the Steelers once again.

Tomlin's son, Michael, was a player on North Catholic's team last year as was Porter's son, Joe Jr., and Porter's nephew, Amosis.

Here is what Steigerwald, writing in the Indiana Gazette, said about the situation:

"Jason Gildon, a former Steelers outside linebacker who held the franchise sack record until James Harrison broke it this season, was the head coach, and he was fired shortly after the season ended.

"Soon after that, the sons of Mike Tomlin and outside linebackers coach Joey Porter, transferred. So did Porter’s nephew.

"It’s safe to say that there aren’t many people in the North Catholic community who are sorry to see the parents go.

"By all accounts, the kids weren’t the problem.

"Joey Porter was a big problem."

Porter escorted ff the field 

According to Steigerwald's account, which was confirmed in a story today by Mike White of the Post-Gazette, Porter became outraged at a game against Riverside so much that he charged onto the field to confront an official. That caused North Catholic to receive a 15-yard penalty.

White quoted Riverside Coach Ron Sciarro: “Right before halftime, North Catholic had thrown a pass and it was completed to maybe our 25-yard line. The kid caught it and then the time ran off. We’re heading off the field and I know there was a disturbance of some kind. When I came back onto the field after halftime, the referee came to me and said there is a 15-yard penalty on North Catholic and it’s on Joey Porter. But he’s not even a North Catholic coach. I know Gildon got a 15-yard penalty near the end of the game, but he’s a coach. Our principal [Michael Brooks] came up to me after the game and said not to worry about anything. But I do know there was an incident and the police did get involved.”

Police escorted Porter off the field, but Steigerwald alleged that the coach threatened them somewhat like he did people and police at a Pittsburgh bar earlier this year. "According to eyewitnesses, Porter told the cops, 'If you want me to leave it’s gonna take more than just you'.”

Joey needs help.

Tomlin's transgression

Steigerwald also claimed that Tomlin, while not involved in the Porter incident, entered the North Catholic locker room and lambasted the officials after a game. "Mike Tomlin was also at the game, but not involved in the disturbance. But Tomlin did, on at least one occasion, according to a witness, pay a visit to the North Catholic locker room and drop multiple F-bombs while trashing the officials."

Gildon said that he did not recall Tomlin doing so, though he did not actually deny that it might have occurred. "I don’t ever recall [Tomlin] coming to the locker room at any time,” Gildon told the PG. “As far as I’m concerned, I’ve never been around a more professional person. I don’t say that because he is the head coach of the Steelers, I say it because I had the opportunity to coach his son. He was always up front with me regarding Michael. I really don’t think it’s fair to attack someone’s character like this.”

"I don't ever recall" is in the same class as "to the best of my recollection, I cannot remember." Sort of Nixonian, Clintonian. It is not an absolute denial, though the PG said that he "refuted" the allegation.

Other allegations

Some other allegations were made, that Porter and Tomlin lit up cigars in a non-smoking section of a stadium and that they refused to move after other fans complained that they were standing in front of them and obstructing their view.

Reason for Steelers' lack of discipline

The arrogance of Tomlin is becoming more evident as time passes. He is obviously a good coach, but I question his character. How can a parent go into a locker room with high school kids and use that kind of language?

He said when he was video-taped by Antonio Brown using profane language that he is serious about being a role model. Now, that is again being questioned.

If Tomlin cannot discipline himself, how can he discipline his team?

Porter

Joey Porter should be fired. When you make allegations like he did, which required the local police to call for backups, you have a serious problem.

The Steelers also have a serious problem if they continue to keep him on staff.

Steigerwald advice

I cannot verify that what the columnist said about Tomlin is true, but he is a long-time journalist, albeit one who does not shy away from controversy.

However, he does give some good advice to Steeler coaches:

"Here’s what an NFL head coach or an NFL assistant coach should do in the stands at their kids’ high school football game: hide.

"Shut up.

"And that doesn’t change if the head coach happens to be a former NFL player and/or a former teammate.

"Have some respect for the officials, the opposing players and the parents of your sons’ teammates. And be aware of the responsibility that goes with representing the Steelers in public.

"Sneak in and sneak out. Do whatever it takes to draw as little attention to yourself as possible. That would include not smoking cigars in a non-smoking stadium and causing fans to leave their seats, which Tomlin and Porter are said to have done at a playoff game in Butler."

Embarrassing for North Catholic

The North Catholic alumni include the current president and their GM, who happens to be on the board at the school.

The AD said that the school just wanted to "move on" from the Gildon era and his firing.

While that is understandable, my question is why they hired a non-Catholic coach who obviously did not know much about sportsmanship and Catholic values.

Second, when you fire a coach, you have an obligation to at least explain in general terms why it was done, even if it was because of "philosophical differences."