Big Lead Sports Bar

10/31/2006

Bill Cowher = Bully

I'm not a big fan of the Tuesday Cowher Press Conferences...never have been, actually. The only useful information that comes out are the injuries, such as "Troy with a foot", or "Sean with a toe". But what went on at today's circus disguised as a dispersal of information and answers is a major reason why.
Mr. Bill, like many NFL coaches, is too important for his own good. That's why he's where he is. Like Bill Parcells, or Brian Billick, or in baseball, Tony LaRussa, he has a healthy ego. But the problem is that he has still yet to harness when to turn that ego on and off. During an emotional football game, displaying that self-importance is not only fine, it's necessary. But when we're two days removed from a game in which he wasn't even emotional in, he picks now to be Mr. Difficult with the media. He treats reporters like they are beneath him...rungs beneath him. To steal a line from the classic Bill Murray film What About Bob, "he's so far above us, we're like ropes on the Goodyear Blimp."

Cowher is a football coach, not a President, a Prime Minister, or Secretary of Defense. Yet the press conferences carry the tone of a Cuban Missile Crisis. You're preparing for Denver this week, Bill, not a stealth military attack at dawn.
On a legitimate question about Roethlisberger's health asked by Bob Smizik, Cowher responded with an abrupt "no" and then quickly moved to the next question. Congratulations, Bill, you just punked an 82-year-old sportswriter. Yet you can't discipline your own team when they're pushing guys who are already out of bounds and doing legs kicks while losing to the worst team in the league.
Smizik should do the Larry Foote stomp. That's been proven to not land anyone in Bill's doghouse.
You can hear the Smizik exchange about halfway through this clip of today's press conference. However, that's not even the best part. Listen for a little longer, and you'll get this frustrated rant:
"It's week to week...it's week to week...it's WEEK TO WEEK!" when asked about Jeff Hartings' knee.
Cowher is wound up pretty tight these days. Losing to Art Shell will have that effect on a coach. What he needs to be most of all is a leader, not a media bully. If not, we'll have our own version of the Dennis Green clip to play ad nauseam soon enough. And someone will be crowned, I guarantee.

4 comments:

Megatron said...

Another quote from What About Bob? "Baby steps... baby steps... Doctor Leo Marven!" I remember the opening day of What About Bob? in the theaters, and people with the first name Bob would get in for free. One of the best movies ever I might add. But What About Bill and the Pittsburgh Lions? It has been nothing but backward steps unfortunately, or steppign in dog shit, I think they should just give up all together. Just quit, because right now all this fluff is for the Lions. At least Bill says he takes responsibility, but as they say actions speak louder than this horse shit. Control your team Bill then maybe I'll watch another game this year. Peace homeboy. That is what I'll say and I'll say and mean it when I say it, "THE STEELERS ARE WHOM WE THOUGHT THEY THOUGHT THEY WERE!" Just throw in the towel, spend all your rich athelete dollars wisely and retire. LEAVE ME ALONE, GOD YOU SUCK, YOU SUCK STEELERS! I AM SICK OF THIS SHIT! Hang in there Steelers, keep doing what you are doing right, fogive me for my blasphamy. I love u Nate Warshington!

Anonymous said...

Oh c'mon now, you can't be serious.

They won a Super Bowl and made us all very happy.

Now they're having a bad year, and while yes they suck and they're pissing me off, it's pretty pussy-like to just say you're not watching anymore.

Not saying you're a pussy, I'm just saying that's a pussy move.

You loved all the good shit they did. You can deal with the bad stuff too. It's just a game.

Anonymous said...

You suck, Megatron. Go watch the Lions with your boyfriend.

Megatron said...

Hey we should have quit after we won the Super Bowl. Just closed the doors and treated Heinz field as a monument to future generations. You are right Lipps I am not being serious. Please ignore my hasty verbage, a minor blip of venting my frustration about the loss to Oakland, the loss to Oakland, the loss to Oakland. My blood will always run black n' gold, and I will be there watching Denver and the Pittsburgh Lions play on Sunday. Please give me another 24 hours and I will make a public appology to the American people. But I will appologize to Monde, "the house" right now and I say sorry to you for my spelling, grammer, and use of profanity. "Eat shit crumby Steelers season!"