THE PESSIMIST: Stop The Comparisons!
February 3rd, 2009Joe is on fire this morning because, as expected, the vast majority of sports radio is now trying to cram that unmitigated sewage known as the non-basketball association down Joe’s throat and he just wants to strangle any number of sports radio executives.
Joe doesn’t give a damn about “ko-BEE” or “LUH-bron” any more than he cares about five-year old Johnny or Susie playing kickball in some misused plot of grass that Joe has paid for with his hard-earned tax dollars.
EEE-NUFF!!!
Where the hell is the FCC when you need it?
There’s a reason why “The Big Dog,” Steve Duemig, gets great ratings. You will never hear NBA talk (much less Yankees/Red Sox talk) on his show unless it’s in vane which makes his show an oasis for sports fans’ ears.
(“Hell-oh, McFly!”)
And people actually wonder why Joe only watches BSPN for live games or College Gameday and subscribes to satellite radio? Imagine!
There’s another thing that’s really bothering Joe of late: Will people quit comparing Raheem the Dream to Mike Tomlin? Please!
Joe Henderson of the Tampa Tribune has (another) article discussing the comparisons between the Bucs new head coach and the Steelers’ Super Bowl-winning coach.
Rooney’s instinct on Tomlin was obviously correct – he stands as the youngest person to coach a Super Bowl champion following Sunday night’s exhilarating 27-23 victory over Arizona. At age 36, with the core of his team intact, it’s not hard to see Tomlin standing on more platforms like the one he did late Sunday.
It’s not fair to place those same expectations on Morris yet because the situations are different. The Bucs have serious roster issues that need to be addressed and there is no one on the roster like quarterback Ben Roethlisberger; nor do the Bucs possess a defense like the one in Pittsburgh.
Best as Joe can tell, there are only three valid comparisons between the two:
Both were former Bucs defensive backs coaches.
Both have yet to hit the depressing Big 4-0.
Both have the same color skin.
As Henderson points out, to compare the two is unfair to both, in particular to The Dream.
Tomlin walked into the perfect circumstance with the Steelers. He took over a team one year removed from winning a Super Bowl loaded with stud players. Tomlin also works for not only the most classy organization in the NFL, but maybe all of sports.
Additionally, the Steelers front office annually fields, drafts and selects players that results in a competitive (if not playoff) team. Pittsburgh is really a dream job for any coach.
The Dream takes over a team that may very well be on the decline if not in a rebuilding mode. Joe can’t remember the last time the Steelers were in a rebuilding mode.
When Joe spoke with Tomlin at Media Day last week, while he put his best face on, you could even tell Tomlin not only was tiring of the comparisons between him and The Dream, you could also sense in his words that the comparisons were unfair to The Dream.
Joe hasn’t read too many comparisons between Josh McDaniels and Charlie Weis. Like Tomlin and The Dream, both McDaniels and Weis held the same position at different times for the same organization and the same head coach. And both have roughly the same skin pigment.
Like Tomlin and The Dream, the comparisons (should) stop there.
The Dream is his own man. Knock off the comparisons to Tomlin. It’s not fair to The Dream.
If the Bucs win the Super Bowl in February 2011, then the comparisons to Tomlin are valid.
Maybe.
February 3rd, 2009 at 6:57 pm
Amen. A-freakin’-men!