Mike Tomlin spoke about the surprising firing of John Harbaugh during an interview in The Rich Eisen Show. Both were part of a great rivalry between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Baltimore Ravens for almost two decades.
“In terms of him being let go, unfortunately I just think it’s a component of today’s sport culture. There have been many examples of that. So, it’s unfortunate, but I’m sure that he’s going to move on and if he chooses to coach again, I’m sure he will and I’m sure he’ll be very successful at doing so. More than anything, I just think it’s a larger example of today’s sport culture in terms of, you know, not a lot of patience and the entertainment component of what it is that we do. There’s just not a lot of longevity. I’m sure we all would like to be Don Shula and Tom Landry, but I think those days are gone.”
Tomlin and Harbaugh have won the Super Bowl, but the main criticism toward them is that more than ten years have passed since then, and playoff losses have been piling up in recent seasons. In fact, several reports indicated that the Week 18 game featuring the Steelers and the Ravens was a matchup in which the winning coach would secure his job and the other would be out. Harbaugh paid the price.
Mike Tomlin’s message for John Harbaugh
In such a difficult moment for John Harbaugh, Mike Tomlin only had words of appreciation and respect for his great rival. From this moment on, nothing will be the same in the AFC North.
“I have so much respect for Harbs. Our stories will forever be interwoven. This rivalry that we’ve been fortunate and honored enough to be a part of. I just got so much respect for him and how he’s gone about his business. We’ve certainly had some legendary battles over the years.”
At the moment, it is still unknown who will replace Harbaugh. According to a report from Adam Schefter, John’s agent has already been contacted by seven teams and the head coach has become the favorite of the Giants to replace Brian Daboll.
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