The Elephant in the Room: Do Mike Tomlin's problems have to do with Western Pa. racism?
... Rep. Jack Murtha: "There's no question Western Pennsylvania is a racist area" When the Steelers hired Mike Tomlin as their head football coach in 2007, a friend and I had a conversation about the move. "Do you think that Western Pa. fans will accept a black man as head coach of the Steelers?" my friend wrote. My answer: "Yes, as long as he wins." In his second year, his team defeated the Arizona Cardinals in Super Bowl XLIII for their sixth Super Bowl win. Two years later, they were back in the Super Bowl, and even if it did not result in a win, the Steelers were in two Super Bowls in Tomlin's first four years. He was the toast of the town, a "boy genius" in the eyes of the national media. Certainly, there were some dissenters, but who could argue with that record? Tomlin's change to some fans Then, the team started aging, and change was needed. The problems were on the offensive line, on the defense, prett...