Mike Tomlin gave Russell Wilson a petty game ball after the Pittsburgh Steelers’ 13-6 win over the Denver Broncos, but don’t ask him what that means.
Wilson did not take a snap against his former team, but Tomlin still sought to honor the quarterback because as Justin Fields said, “Russ got kind of did dirty last year.” Fields noted that Wilson got a “petty game ball.” During Tomlin’s Tuesday morning press conference, he was asked about what giving Wilson a “petty game ball” means, and the longtime head coach got a little chippy with the media.
“None of your businesses, respectfully,” Tomlin quickly answered. “There’s certain things that go on among teams that I don’t talk about. Whether it gets out or how it gets out is unimportant to me and I’m not overly guarded against it.
“But there’s just certain things as a leader that I talk to the collective about that I have zero intentions of sharing with the larger public because it’s about our collective and how we come together and how we appreciate and support one another. And I can’t give you all the ingredients to the hot dog, you might not like it.”
Tomlin is a very good NFL head coach, he might be an even better quote. Add the hot dog one to a running list that includes things like “We’re still squirreling those nuts,” or “That was the Jell-O we couldn’t get back in the box,” praising a rookie running back because he “didn’t urinate down his leg” and touting his desire to see Steelers fans get “fat, sassy, and spoiled.”
And much like some of Tomlin’s other Tomlin-isms, this hot dog one didn’t make complete sense. Fans and media might not want to know what’s in a hot dog, but we definitely do want to know what’s going on in NFL locker rooms. And in Pittsburgh, they especially want to know about Wilson’s fit, or lack thereof, in the locker room.
Tomlin was clearly a little annoyed by the question based on his “none of your businesses” response. But maybe he was just more annoyed that he was having to answer the question. As Tomlin reaffirmed his desire to keep locker room things in the locker room, it was hard not to think about the fact that newcomer Justin Fields made this a story by revealing Wilson’s “petty game ball” to the media.
About Brandon Contes
Brandon Contes is a staff writer for Awful Announcing and The Comeback. He previously helped carve the sports vertical for Mediaite and spent more than three years with Barrett Sports Media. Send tips/comments/complaints to bcontes@thecomeback.com