You simply have to love Mike Tomlin.
Let’s just say that the coach of the Black and Gold was more than ready today when ESPN talking head Bob Holtzman asked a question during the Wednesday press conferences.
If you recall, Holtzman is the dolt that reported last week that the Steelers might use a trick play against the Ravens on Saturday. That trick play (minus maybe a WR reverse to Mike Wallace that failed) never came. Could it come this week? That remains to be seen, but back to today.
Holtzman threw out to Tomlin a question about it taking time to prepare for Rex Ryan and the Jets defense. He asked if it took more time to prepare at just how unpredictable the Jets D is.
Tomlin’s answer – a classic. “It depends on whether or not you give him my plays, you know,” the coach said. Let’s just say that the glare that Tomlin was giving the reporter should have sent a message about how not happy he was about Holtzman’s “reporting” of a week ago.
Prior to the Ravens game, Holtzman reported: “Two Steelers have told me, if they catch the Ravens in the right defense, they have a trick play ready to go today that they’ve never run before,” said Holtzman, noting that someone who usually doesn’t throw the ball would be called upon.
Way to go Holtzman, you can bet the Steelers and their players won’t be saying much to you from now on. Way to blow the trust of a team and breaking rule 101 of reporting.
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DrGeorge
January 19, 2011 at 7:01 pm
We all understand Tomlin’s ire, and Holtzman did himself no favors by leaking information. But what are team members doing talking to the press in the first place? And what’s so secret about a vague reference to a trick play. Any team with a vault of old Steelers tapes will see TDs thrown by players who aren’t QBs.
Holtzman has a right to report what he’s told. Talking to a member of the Fourth Estate is never off the record; it’s more like a gentleman’s agreement if a secret is kept by a reporter. And how do we know it wasn’t disinformation, deliberately planted to keep the Ravens’ secondary back on its heels? After all, it worked.
Bill
January 20, 2011 at 12:37 pm
Dr George, Nice try with the “gentleman’s agreement” BS but there is a thing called sports reporter’s integrity otherwise known as “off the record discussions”. Sports reporters for decades and decades have been privy to information that is supposed to be “confidential”, Blab Holtzman broke the golden rule and should be fired, let alone banished from reporting on professional sports. You must be from New England where CHEATING is the norm.
Ben Dover
January 19, 2011 at 10:08 pm
You can’t trust the media, you in fact have to treat them like the enemy.
Douche bags like Bob Holtzman and anybody associated with BFPN (The
Brady/Favre/Patriots Network) is an enemy of the Steelers.
Tomlin should have thrown him out of the press conference, and the players should be feeding that moron mis-information in the hopes that BFPN will fire him.