U mad, bro?: Fans gripe over NFL player grades for Mike Tomlin; Omar Khan's quotes; Penguins losing

In this week’s “U mad, bro,” we’ve got some people rolling their eyes at Omar Khan’s quotes about the Steelers roster. We have lots of people fed up with the Penguins. And there are a surprising amount of people agitated about the Eagles’ Tush Push.

Ah! Enjoy spring training, Pirates. Your time is coming soon enough.

Let’s start with this guy. He is replying to some of Steelers general manager Omar Khan’s comments at the NFL Scouting Combine.

Where would you receive less information or less evasive language? A Tomlin or Khan presser?

— Relaxed Styles (@Relaxed_Styles) February 26, 2025

Is White House Press Secretary for any of the last 10 administrations an option?

Calvin checked in about Team USA during the 4 Nations Face-Off.

@MarkMaddenX @TimBenzPGH this game really makes ya miss Jake Guentzel on the Pens…

— Calvin Isaac (@CalvinIsaac4) February 21, 2025

Honestly, I’m at the point with the Penguins that I found myself missing Mikael Granlund while watching Finland.

Fred responded to the Facebook post about that Penguins’ promotion where they are selling large beers in hollowed-out plastic hockey sticks.

Beer! Sticks! A bad product on the ice!

”What could possibly go wrong?”

Generally speaking, Fred, hmm … I’d say the goaltending, defensive zone coverage, five-on-five play and the shootout.

Jordan also had a comment on the Penguins’ beer sticks.

”Starting to sound like the gimmicky stuff the Pirates do.”

It’s also starting to look like where the Pirates end up in the standings.

An emailer named “tmitch0710” wants the Philadelphia Eagles “Tush Push” play to be outlawed.

“The flying wedge was made illegal, so should be the tush push.”

The flying wedge was used league-wide at full speed and resulted in multiple people dying.

This is an effort to target one play that one team has mastered.

And if Jalen Hurts felt like his life was at risk from doing the “Brotherly Shove,” I’m guessing he wouldn’t be so keen on doing it.

George agrees with that guy on this topic.

”From 2005, we gradually and continually had more and more and more ‘assisting’ of a runner — COMPLETELY against the rules of football, but exactly the rules of rugby!!!! And now we’ve devolved to the slop of (expletive) the EAGLES have perfected. NO. NO. and NO. Get rid of it.”

George, you are right that the rule changed in 2005 to allow pushing from behind but no other form of assisting the runner.

However, prior to the rule change in ‘05, the penalty hadn’t been called in any form since 1991. That was when a Kansas City Chief lineman pulled a wide receiver forward.

So I don’t think removing “pushing of a player” from the language of that rule is exactly the ground zero moment for a slow decline that you are making it out to be.

It took two decades for one team, with one player, to turn this into an issue. It’s an attack on them. If it was the Steelers franchise that was the subject of losing a play that only it had specialized, we’d all be wetting our pants over it.

Finally, in the latest round of NFLPA grades of franchises across the league, I was baffled that Mike Tomlin somehow got an “A” as a coach while Art Rooney II got a “D.” This person agrees with me.

Everyone gives Tomlin a pass always. It's amazing. He’s the new Teflon Don.

— The Kraken (@TheKrak95059118) February 26, 2025

Interesting fact: “The Teflon Don” John Gotti also never had a losing season.

Actually, come to think of it, I guess 1992 didn’t end so well.

That may have even been worse than closing the season on a five-game losing streak.

Maybe.